SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwired – Oct 11, 2013) – Janet Moyer Landscaping (JML), a full-service landscaping company in San Francisco devoted to addressing the unique challenges of urban gardens, announced today its partnership with Toro to make a complimentary one-time upgrade for JML’s current users of the Intelli-Sense™ WeatherTrak^® enabled controller to Toro’s latest “SMART” controller technology. The new system eliminates the need for a remote download, yearly subscription fees, and interruptions of service due to inconsistent data communication.

The new system, called Irritrol^® Climate Logic^® (Irritrol is a brand of The Toro Company), works by combining real time data from a compact, wireless weather sensor installed on site with 40 years of historic weather data that is zip code specific and loaded into a new control unit. It also has the benefit of providing immediate feedback to the controller when a rain event occurs, or temperatures drop close to freezing.

“We are grateful that Toro has partnered with us to provide the new controller to current JML users,” says Michael Hofman, JML executive vice president and Certified Irrigation Designer.

He explains, “The previous system became problematic for a number of reasons. It required the use of one-way pager technology, a system that is being reduced to only the centers of major metropolitan areas. This means that some neighborhoods would get inconsistent service, so we were happy to work with Toro to come up with a viable solution to this problem for our clients.”

Mike Baron, national specifications manager for Toro, added, “Toro values its business relationships with landscape contractors, especially those who have consistently installed Toro irrigation products over the years. Because of our mutual trust, commitment to the relationship and our joint focus on the end customer, we worked together to address the situation in a manner that was acceptable to both our companies and real a plus for the homeowners.”

About Janet Moyer Landscaping
Founded in 1990, Janet Moyer Landscaping is an award-winning, full-service landscaping company based in San Francisco, CA. It has designed and installed more than 600 unique and customized gardens in San Francisco’s varied terrain. The company specializes in the creation of custom residential landscapes that address the unique challenges posed by San Francisco’s climate, significant grade changes and architectural constraints. Owned and managed by Janet Moyer and Michael Hofman, JML applies sustainable practices to its residential landscape design, installation and maintenance services. In 2012, JML received an “Outstanding Achievement” award from the California Landscape Contractors Association. It was a 2013 sponsor of the Garden Bloggers Fling held in San Francisco in June. For more information, visit www.jmoyerlandscaping.com or call 415-821-3760. Become a member of the JML community at http://www.facebook.com/janetmoyerlandscaping

By
• SANETTE TANAKA
• CONNECT

Yearning for a place to unplug, meditate and pray, some people are transforming parts of their homes into houses of worship.

These latest spiritual spaces are no longer relegated to a single altar in the corner of the room. Homeowners are creating meditation gardens, yoga and tai chi studios and private chapels. Rather than tacking these spaces on as afterthoughts, architects and builders are incorporating them into home plans from the start.

More homeowners are turning their homes into houses of worship, creating custom meditation gardens, Tai Chi studios, and even private chapels. Sanette Tanaka has details on Lunch Break. Photo: Jason Henry for The Wall Street Journal.

Tony Hanslin of Grantham, N.H., built a 225-square-foot Asian-inspired tea house three years ago. The space features sliding doors and a mahogany floor, and is surrounded by Japanese gardens, a stream and a dry pond consisting of natural-colored pebbles. Mr. Hanslin, who spent about $400,000 on the tea house and landscaping, says he goes there for one or two hours nearly every day.

“It’s very sparsely furnished so there’s room to meditate, teach tai chi and do tai chi, and have the occasional cocktail party,” says Mr. Hanslin, a former builder who is 70 years old.

House and Om

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Tony Hanslin spent about $400,000 on a tea house and landscaping at his Grantham, N.H., home.

Builders and architects say homeowners typically want clean lines, Asian-inspired detailing, natural materials and light-colored woods, like maple, bamboo and oak. They also want water features, such as fountains and waterfalls, and a view of the outside, says Walid Wahab, president of Miami-based Wahab Construction, who sees 50% more requests for meditation spaces now compared with five years ago.

Joji Yoshimura and his partner, Michael Kronstadt, built a 1,100-square-foot addition to their ranch-style home in Sunnyvale, Calif. Inside are a tea room; mirrored studio for yoga, tai chi and qigong, an ancient Chinese healing art; a master-bedroom suite and a media room. The addition, designed by architect John Lum in San Francisco, was completed in 2006 and cost roughly $400,000. The interiors feature handmade sliding screens and tatami mats. Outside is a 15-foot by 15-foot koi pond and bonsai tree display.

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Mr. Yoshimura, age 62 and a clinical psychologist, grew up in a traditional Buddhist family and meditates daily. Mr. Kronstadt, 66 and a project manager for a biomedical-device firm, began meditating regularly about four years ago—in part because of the tea room. “It was easier, or more right, or less awkward to actually have a real meditation space, so I didn’t feel as self-conscious as I might have if I just started meditating at the kitchen table,” Mr. Kronstadt says. Now, every day after work, he practices “walking meditation” in the tea room or simply sits on the cushions.

Mr. Yoshimura likes the tea room for another purpose. “It’s set up to entertain. I have people over for snacks or dinner,” he says.

Private spaces in the home for prayer have been around in the U.S. since the colonial period but went out of style in the 1960s, when communal worship became more popular, says Duncan Stroik, professor of architecture at the University of Notre Dame who studies sacred spaces. In the past 10 to 15 years, luxury homes, in particular, have seen a resurgence in private prayer spaces. “What we’re seeing is some people who believe in prayer are willing to spend significant money to have a beautiful room dedicated to that in their house,” he says.

Prof. Stroik says meditation spaces are an outcry against our increasingly mobile age. “People need to get away. You might not be able to get into the country, but you can go into a room and pray and meditate,” he says.

Johnny Miller, owner of OakBridge Timber Framing, is building an 860-square-foot chapel for a Presbyterian couple in Howard, Ohio, northeast of Columbus. The free-standing chapel will have wooden pews that can seat 60 people and a curved, cathedral-style ceiling that will be high enough “to make it feel like a church,” Mr. Miller says. The timbers will have several Bible verses carved into them. The chapel will likely cost about $400,000, he adds, noting that the price per square foot is higher than many luxury homes due to the extensive amount of detailing.

Once the chapel is completed in the fall of 2014, the couple plans to use it for worship, weddings, christenings and even funerals. “They’re busy with their lifestyles. They want to have it located on site and close by,” says Mr. Miller, adding that he gets twice as many requests for spiritual rooms now than he did five years ago.

The owners, Jeff and Debi Johnson, are building the chapel on the property where their weekend home is located. Mr. Johnson, a jeweler, says he modeled the chapel off the church where his family attends services. “We have always gone to church, but when we’re at the farm, we’re far from a church,” says Mr. Johnson, age 62. “I wanted something on our property that represented that feel and my faith.”

Although simple in their essence, these spaces can require a high level of customization. Experts, such as a feng shui specialist, are sometimes consulted about design principles or asked to conduct special ceremonies.

Aarthi Jain’s Houston home, built in 2004, was influenced by Vastu Shastra principles, a Hindu design method that focuses on the home’s directional alignment. For instance, the front door couldn’t face south because it is believed to bring bad luck, and the 36-square-foot prayer room had to be located on the top floor so no one could walk above it. “Having something touching your feet is considered taboo,” says Dr. Jain, a 50-year-old physician.

The tricky part was making sure her architects, Natalye Appel and Stuart Smith, could balance Vastu principles with city regulations. “Last minute we had to completely flip the house east to west because the city didn’t catch that the driveway wasn’t where they wanted,” Dr. Jain says. “It was difficult to apply principles of one culture to the restrictions of another.”

She tried to incorporate outdoor elements as much as possible. The house curves around a backyard courtyard, and the rooms downstairs face the pool. The prayer room, which has an antique teak Indian door frame, opens into a larger gathering space. In total, the house cost $1.6 million.

Still, Dr. Jain didn’t follow every rule. For example, she put windows in the prayer room even though prayer rooms in India are typically windowless.

“It’s so much a part of our way of living in Indian culture, in Hindu culture. Religion is part of everything you do. We want to encourage our daughters to remember these things and remember where they come from,” Dr. Jain says.

Last year, designer Safura Salek of Mass Studio created a 4,000-square-foot modern home following Vastu Shastra principles for an Indian family in West Hollywood, Calif. Though the house cost more than $800,000, the 24-square-foot prayer room, tucked under the stairwell, is simple. The owner “prays every morning. For her, it’s a very private space. She didn’t want it to be out in the open or ostentatious,” Ms. Salek says.

When it comes time to sell, marketing a home with a meditation room can be sensitive because the spaces could potentially turn off buyers of a different faith or background, says Stephanie Bissett, an agent with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty in Sanibel, Fla. The upside is that prayer spaces are usually open and sparse, so they can easily be converted for other uses.

Recent sales include a 94-acre property in Austin County, Texas, with an outdoor chapel and church bell that sold in the spring for more than $3 million, according to Dave Wyatt, the listing agent. A three-story home in San Marino, Calif., with a designated meditation room sold in September for $8.88 million, says listing agent Sarah Rogers.

Patty LaRocco, an agent with Town Residential, has a $39 million listing for a co-op apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side with a silk-paneled meditation room adorned with tatami mats and Moroccan lanterns. She promotes the room in all her marketing materials. “Most people are neutral, but some find it super cool. I had a buyer yesterday who came through and loved it,” she says.

A version of this article appeared October 11, 2013, on page M1 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: There’s No Place Like Om.

CREST HILL, Ill. (CBS) – A Crest Hill woman who 25 years ago knocked on doors and gathered names for what would become the town’s veterans’ memorial is receiving a thank you today.

A team of volunteers from the Home Depot in Homer Glen descended on her home, and started work on a landscaping makeover — removing bushes, building a garden wall, spreading mulch, planting flowers, and erecting a fountain.

Phyllis Powell and her late husband, Joe, were a driving force behind the memorial’s creation, and she still tends the gardens there today, and plants flags on Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day and Flag Day. She stood in her yard with tears in her eyes watching the volunteers work.

She said she was overwhelmed.

Home Depot manager Beth Armour said the project is part of the company’s plan to spend $80 million in five years to better the lives of veterans, and those who support them.

She said she reached out to State Rep. Natalie Manley (D-Joliet) when looking for a project in the area, and learned about Powell’s work on the memorial from the mayor of Crest Hill.

Powell said she couldn’t thank them enough.

NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2013 — /PRNewswire/ — Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Market http://www.reportlinker.com/p0701913/World-Power-Lawn–Garden-Equipment-Market.html#utm_source=prnewswireutm_medium=prutm_campaign=DIY_and_Garden_Equipment

World demand to rise over 4% annually through 2017 Worldwide demand for power lawn and garden equipment is forecast to rise more than four percent per year through 2017 to well over $20 billion. Growth in equipment sales will be supported by a recovery in the massive US market that will lead to increased spending on durable consumer goods and landscaping services. Demand will also rebound in Western Europe as the construction of new housing climbs following the Euro zone economic troubles in 2012. In developing areas of the world, particu¬larly the Asia/Pacific region, sales of out-door power equipment will be stimulated by households that will increasingly seek out multifamily residential properties with associated lawns and/or gardens, spurring growth in commercial lawn care equipment.

US, Canada, Western Europe to remain dominant markets While power lawn and garden equipment sales in developing nations will record the largest advances in percentage terms through 2017, the US, Canada and Western Europe will continue to account for the vast majority of world demand. Consumers in these developed nations have high income levels that allow for discretionary purchases like power lawn and garden equipment, and landscaping services that utilize this equipment. Additionally, countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and the US have strong residential lawn and garden care cultures, and the lion’s share of golf courses worldwide are located in these three nations.

Turf grounds equipment to be fastest growing Lawnmowers will continue to account for the biggest portion of sales among all product groups, owing primarily to the large number of homeowners that possess and maintain their own lawns in the US, Canada and Western Europe. In these areas, a lawnmower is considered an essential appliance for most homeowners, as these products are the only way to efficiently manicure a larger lawn. Turf and grounds equipment is expected to post the fastest market gains, driven by recoveries in the professional landscaping industries in many developed nations. Furthermore, a continuing trend toward urbanization of developing nations, including those in Asia and South America, will boost the use of public parks and other green spaces, increasing maintenance needs and bolstering demand for related equipment. Sales of aftermarket parts and attachments will rise at a slower rate than demand for new equipment, as economic growth in the US and Western Europe will boost per capita incomes, and prompting many users to discard older units that require repair and maintenance.

Commercial applications to experience fastest gains Residential demand for power lawn and garden equipment will continue to account for the majority of all sales globally through 2017. However, demand for outdoor power equipment for com¬mercial applications will grow at a faster pace going forward, fueled primarily by a recovery in the professional landscaping industries in industrialized nations. As technologies for batteries and electric motors continue to improve and the use of large battery-powered equipment becomes more economically viable, market expansion for electric equipment will outpace that for internal combustion engine-powered machinery. The growing popularity of robotic mowers will also contribute to gains in electric outdoor power equipment.

Study coverage This upcoming Freedonia industry study, World Power Lawn Garden Equip¬ment, is priced at $6300. It presents historical demand data for 2002, 2007, and 2012, plus forecasts for 2017 and 2022 by product, power source, market, world region, and for 21 countries. The study also considers market environment factors, evaluates company market share and profiles industry players worldwide.

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION xiii I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

II. MARKET ENVIRONMENT 4 General 4 World Economic Outlook 5 Recent Historical Trends 5 Macroeconomic Outlook 7 Personal Income Expenditure Trends 11 World Building Construction Expenditure Trends 13 World Demographic Outlook 15 Population 16 Urbanization Patterns 17 Household Formation Patterns 19 Lawn Garden Equipment Pricing Patterns 21 Legal Regulatory Issues 23 Technology Product Innovation 26

III. WORLD SUPPLY DEMAND 29 General 29 Regional Overview 30 Demand 30 Production 36 International Trade 38 Demand by Product 40 Lawnmowers 42 Turf Grounds Equipment 45 Trimmers Edgers 46 Other Equipment 49 Parts Attachments 50 Demand by Market 52 Residential 54 Commercial 56 Demand by Power Source 59 Internal Combustion Engine 60 Electric 61

IV. NORTH AMERICA 64 General 64 Supply Demand 65 Power Lawn Garden Equipment Outlook 67 United States 70 Canada 76 Mexico 82

V. WESTERN EUROPE 88 General 88 Supply Demand 89 Power Lawn Garden Equipment Outlook 92 Germany 95 France 101 United Kingdom 107 Sweden 113 Belgium 119 Netherlands 124 Italy 129 Spain 135 Other Western Europe 140

VI. ASIA/PACIFIC 147 General 147 Supply Demand 148 Power Lawn Garden Equipment Outlook 151 Australia 154 China 159 Japan 165 New Zealand 171 India 177 South Korea 183 Other Asia/Pacific 188

VII. OTHER REGIONS 195 Central South America 195 General 195 Supply Demand 196 Power Lawn Garden Equipment Outlook 198 Brazil 200 Other Central South America 206 Eastern Europe 211 General 211 Supply Demand 213 Power Lawn Garden Equipment Outlook 215 Russia 218 Poland 224 Other Eastern Europe 229 Africa/Mideast 235 General 235 Supply Demand 237 Power Lawn Garden Equipment Outlook 239 South Africa 241 Other Africa/Mideast 247

VIII. INDUSTRY STRUCTURE 254 General 254 Industry Composition 255 Market Share 258 Product Development 264 Manufacturing 266 Marketing 269 Distribution 271 Cooperative Agreements 272 Financial Requirements 276 Mergers, Acquisitions, Industry Restructuring 277 Company Profiles 280 Alamo Group Incorporated 281 AL-KO Kober AG 288 Ariens Company 290 Bad Boy Mowers Incorporated 294 Black Decker, see Stanley Black Decker Blount International Incorporated 296 Bomford Turner, see Alamo Group Bosch (Robert) GmbH 299 Briggs Stratton Corporation 301 Bush Hog, see Alamo Group

Bynorm, see Ariens Cifarelli SpA 308 Companhia Caetano Branco, see Briggs Stratton Country Home Products Incorporated 309 CT Farm Country, see Alamo Group Deere Company 312 DR Power Equipment, see Country Home Products Draper Tools Limited 317 Earthmaster, see Alamo Group Eastman Industries 319 ECHO, see Yamabiko Emak Group 321 Excel Industries Incorporated 325 Exmark Manufacturing, see Toro Giant-Vac Manufacturing, see Metalcraft of Mayville Global Garden Products Group 328 Grasshopper, see Moridge Manufacturing Greenman Machinery Company 332 Hayter, see Toro Henke Manufacturing, see Alamo Group Herschel-Adams, see Alamo Group Homelite Consumer Products, see Techtronic Industries Honda Motor Company Limited 333 Husqvarna AB 337 Ingersoll Tractor, see Eastman Industries

Jacobsen, see Textron Jiangsu Linhai Group 343 Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited 344 Kubota Corporation 347 Lawn Solutions Commercial Products, see Toro Lawn-Boy, see Toro LEO Group Company Limited 351 Liaocheng Changchi Gardening Horticulture Machinery Company Limited 352 Makita Corporation 353 Marunaka Limited 357 Maruyama Manufacturing Company Incorporated 358 Masport NZ Limited 360 McConnel, see Alamo Group McLane Manufacturing Incorporated 362 Metalcraft of Mayville Incorporated 363 Moridge Manufacturing Incorporated 365 MTD Products Incorporated 367 Neutron Mowers, see Country Home Products Ransomes Jacobsen, see Textron Rhino, see Alamo Group Rousseau, see Alamo Group Scag Power Equipment, see Metalcraft of Mayville Schiller Grounds Care Incorporated 371 Schulte Industries, see Alamo Group Shandong Huasheng Zhongtian Machinery Group Company Limited 374 SMA, see Alamo Group

Spearhead Machinery, see Alamo Group Stanley Black Decker Incorporated 376 Stens, see Ariens STIHL Holding AG Company KG 378 Swisher Mower Machine Company 382 Techtronic Industries Company Limited 384 Tenco, see Alamo Group Textron Incorporated 386 Tiger, see Alamo Group Toro Company 390 Twose of Tiverton, see Alamo Group Valu-Bilt, see Alamo Group Viking, see STIHL Wenling LEO Garden Machinery, see LEO Group Yamabiko Corporation 397 Yangzhou Weibang Garden Machine Company Limited 401 Zama, see STIHL Zhejiang Kangli Industrial Trading Company Limited 402 Zhejiang Leo, see LEO Group Other Companies Mentioned in Study 403

LIST OF TABLES SECTION I — EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Summary Table 3

SECTION II — MARKET ENVIRONMENT 1 World Gross Domestic Product by Region 10 2 World Per Capita Gross Domestic Product by Region 12 3 World Building Construction Expenditures by Region 15 4 World Population by Region 17 5 World Urban Population by Region 19 6 World Households by Region 21

SECTION III — WORLD SUPPLY DEMAND 1 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Region 33 2 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Shipments by Region 37 3 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Net Exports by Region 40 4 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Product 41 5 World Lawnmower Demand by Region 44 6 World Turf Grounds Equipment Demand by Region 46 7 World Trimmer Edger Demand by Region 48 8 World Demand for Other Power Lawn Garden Equipment by Region 50 9 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Parts Attachments Demand by Region 52 10 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Market 53 11 World Residential Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Region 56 12 World Commercial Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Region 58 13 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Power Source 59 14 World Internal Combustion Engine Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Region 61 15 World Electric Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Region 63

SECTION IV — NORTH AMERICA 1 North America: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 67 2 North America: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 69 3 United States: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 74 4 United States: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 76 5 Canada: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 80 6 Canada: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 82 7 Mexico: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 86 8 Mexico: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 87

SECTION V — WESTERN EUROPE 1 Western Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 92 2 Western Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 94 3 Germany: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 99 4 Germany: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 101 5 France: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 105 6 France: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 107 7 United Kingdom: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 111 8 United Kingdom: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 113 9 Sweden: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 117 10 Sweden: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 119 11 Belgium: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 122 12 Belgium: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 124

13 Netherlands: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 127 14 Netherlands: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 129 15 Italy: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 133 16 Italy: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 135 17 Spain: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 138 18 Spain: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 140 19 Other Western Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 144 20 Other Western Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 146

SECTION VI — ASIA/PACIFIC 1 Asia/Pacific: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 151 2 Asia/Pacific: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 153 3 Australia: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 157 4 Australia: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 159 5 China: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 163 6 China: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 165 7 Japan: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 169 8 Japan: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 171 9 New Zealand: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 175 10 New Zealand: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 177 11 India: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 181 12 India: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 183 13 South Korea: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 186 14 South Korea: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 188 15 Other Asia/Pacific: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 192 16 Other Asia/Pacific: Power Lawn Garden EquipmentDemand by Type, Market, Power Source 194

SECTION VII — OTHER REGIONS 1 Central South America: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 198 2 Central South America: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 200 3 Brazil: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 204 4 Brazil: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 206 5 Other Central South America: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 209 6 Other Central South America: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 211 7 Eastern Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 215 8 Eastern Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 217 9 Russia: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 222 10 Russia: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 224 11 Poland: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 227 12 Poland: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type,

Market, Power Source 229 13 Other Eastern Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 233 14 Other Eastern Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 235 15 Africa/Mideast: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 239 16 Africa/Mideast: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 241 17 South Africa: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 245 18 South Africa: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 247 19 Other Africa/Mideast: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Supply Demand 251 20 Other Africa/Mideast: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Type, Market, Power Source 253

SECTION VIII — INDUSTRY STRUCTURE 1 Power Lawn Garden Equipment Sales by Company, 2012 256 2 Selected Cooperative Agreements 274 3 Selected Acquisitions Divestitures 279

LIST OF CHARTS

SECTION II — MARKET ENVIRONMENT 1 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Pricing Deflators, 2002-2022 23

SECTION III — WORLD SUPPLY DEMAND 1 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Region, 2012 34 2 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand: Projected 2012-2017 Annual Rate of Growth 35 3 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Shipments by Region, 2012 38 4 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Product, 2012 42

SECTION IV — NORTH AMERICA 1 North America: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Country, 2012 70

SECTION V — WESTERN EUROPE 1 Western Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Country, 2012 95

SECTION VI — ASIA/PACIFIC 1 Asia/Pacific: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Country, 2012 154

SECTION VII — OTHER REGIONS 1 Eastern Europe: Power Lawn Garden Equipment Demand by Country, 2012 218

SECTION VIII — INDUSTRY STRUCTURE 1 World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Market Share, 2012 260

To order this report: World Power Lawn Garden Equipment Market http://www.reportlinker.com/p0701913/World-Power-Lawn–Garden-Equipment-Market.html#utm_source=prnewswireutm_medium=prutm_campaign=DIY_and_Garden_Equipment

__________________________ Contact Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

The Australian Garden, designed by landscape studio Taylor Cullity Lethlean and Paul Thompson, won the prestigious award during World Architecture Week.

The Australian Garden is Victoria’s newest botanic garden and is located in Cranbourne, Victoria, a division of Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens.

“Like a botanic garden, it is a collection of difference, but with a strong unifying set of journeys through the various landscapes,” said the award’s judging panel.

The journey of water through Australian landscapes

From the desert to the rugged coast, the landscaped garden encapsulates everything landscape architecture should including ecology, architecture, horticulture, and art. Over 170,000 plants from 1,700 species grow on the 15-hectare former sand quarry site. The gardens send visitors on a metaphorical journey of water through the various landscapes that comprise Australia.

“This garden brilliantly summarises the great variety of Australian flora as well as the large part of the country which is arid desert,” the jury said.

The re-creation of the Australian landscape is used for educational, scientific and conservation purposes, and is enjoyed by visitors and scientists alike. The botanic garden is one of many gardens worldwide now refocusing efforts on portraying a message of landscape conservation and meaningful engagement for visitors. The primary goal is to teach about the importance of sustainability and biodiversity.

While most of Australia’s gardens are based on European designs, the Australian Garden uses the nation’s landscape as inspiration, celebrating its diversity and contrasting elements.

Cranbourne’s Australian Gardens

The garden’s east side includes exhibition gardens, research plots, display landscapes and a plethora of forestry areas with formal designs whereas the west side features gardens with natural cycles and irregular form.

“This landscape stood out with its originality and strong evocation of Australian identity without having to use any signs or words – just the beautiful flora of Australia’s countryside,” the jury said.

Instead of importing new soil into the former sand quarry which was lacking any substantial amount of rich soil, the design team selected specific native plants that could adapt to the challenging site conditions including drought tolerance and low water needs.

A guide for personal landscaping and promoter of native Australian flora, the Australian Garden protects integral ecosystems and defends Australia’s biological heritage.

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The Dothan Area Botanical Gardens’ Annual Scarecrow Competition is causing some controversy. One of the exhibits is accused of having racial undertones.

October 7, 2013—

Folks on the Michigan Technological University campus have another place to sip a Starbucks and relax outdoors. The John Rovano Plaza, between the Van Pelt and Opie Library and Rehki Hall, affords a new place to chill, before it’s too chilly.

Lynn Watson, University gardener, says she had to work between the two “pale expanses of the library and Rekhi Hall” and “black slate at eye level, which can further isolate a person from a natural setting.”

The result is the plaza and two new gardens, one of which is a strip between two sidewalks. They all run north and south.

Watson views the Tech high rises and tall trees as a “visual canyon.” She says, “This is exciting because there is great richness in a canyon floor that is not present in the surrounding areas. The arching bridge between Rekhi and the library reinforces this entering in. The evergreen planting of the vertical elements reinforces this feeling of entry, even looking in from US 41.”

The plaza and garden were built in response to students who requested more seating and opportunity to enjoy the beautiful UP summer and fall. An extension of the Library Café, this is the first development of the planned Alumni Way, thanks to a generous donation from Dave Brule, a 1972 graduate of Michigan Tech.  A door from the café to the new plaza is next on the construction list.  Watson calls her finished work a “relaxed, visually flowing garden.” The curves in the design are intentional.

“Slow down, relax,” she says. “Find a quiet, private space to unwind, converse, study, think.”

Watson also acknowledged Brule’s contribution.

“The caliber of the donation, with the vision of people, plants and relaxation on campus, was very generous and will benefit students, staff, faculty and visitors of all ages for many, many years,” she says. “Thank you, Mr. Brule!”

Eric Halonen, assistant vice president for advancement, agrees. “We are extremely grateful for the Brule gift. The Library plaza, with its new garden, is a great example of what can be expected as additional funds are raised to continue the Alumni Way campus mall westward.”

It’s a great first project, Halonen says, for Alumni Way.

“Alumni Way will truly add to our campus and provide students with inviting seating areas; a gathering area for all with our mascot, a Husky sculpture; commemorative tributes to Michigan Tech alumni; and enhanced green space with more landscaping such as that at the Library Plaza,” Halonen added. “The Alumni Way will be a place to make memories for new students and celebrate our legacy with all alums and friends of Michigan Tech.”

Michigan Technological University (www.mtu.edu) is a leading public research university developing new technologies and preparing students to create the future for a prosperous and sustainable world. Michigan Tech offers more than 130 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering; forest resources; computing; technology; business; economics; natural, physical and environmental sciences; arts; humanities; and social sciences.

You don’t need to live on the prairie to have a prairie garden. Natural landscapes featuring mainly native plants are being sown in yards across North America as environmentally friendly alternatives to turf grass.

These durable plant combinations include flowers, shrubs and trees. They require little attention, add year-round color and interest and provide wildlife-friendly habitat.

“Many species found in prairies are native to other plant communities found outside the Midwest, such as woodland openings, meadows and barrens, as well as mountain and desert habitats,” says Lynn Steiner of Stillwater, Minn., author of “Prairie Style Gardens” (Timber Press. 2010). “And even if these plants aren’t native to your area, they are still often better choices than exotic plants that come from outside North America.”

City and suburban gardens often aren’t large enough to support meadows, but many prairie plants adapt well to smaller spaces, she said.

“They tolerate less fertile soils, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. They thrive on less water, reducing water use. And they don’t require heavy fossil-fuel input from mowing and trimming,” Steiner said in an email.

Margaret Brittingham, an extension wildlife specialist with Penn State University, said it takes some effort to get prairie plants established “but once done, they’re easy to handle.”

“They’re great for attracting birds and butterflies,” she said. “You can use them for cut flowers, too.”

To keep neighbors happy and win official approval from municipalities, make the conversion from lawn to meadow look tended and not unkempt, Brittingham said.

Some design suggestions:

— Create borders using hedges, mowed edges, low fences or walkways. They act as buffers, keep plants from obstructing sight lines and frame an otherwise natural landscape, Brittingham said.

— Start small. Save money by converting from turf to meadow in manageable yet visible pieces. First, eliminate any trouble spots on the lawn, and then expand gradually, mimicking nature’s processes of gradual succession.

— Find the right plants for the right sites. Don’t plant sun-loving prairie flowers under shade trees, or plants that like their feet dry in low spots that collect run-off.

— Go native. Non-native species generally have less wildlife value, Brittingham said, and are often invasive, eliminating many native species. Check the noxious weed control lists issued for your area and ensure that none are included among the seeds you sow or in the containers you plant.

— Help spread the word. Draw a map of your natural landscape and make it available through brochures placed around your yard. “You might even include a listing of the plants you used and where you got them,” Brittingham said.

— Humanize the project. Add yard art or something personal and whimsical, Steiner said. “For accent and embellishment, rusted iron sculptural pieces blend nicely with the casual look of a prairie landscape. Sundials are nice additions to gardens featuring these sun-loving plants. Birdbaths made of ceramic or stone are practical as well as beautiful.”

By illustrating that your landscape is cared for and designed intentionally, you’ll show that you haven’t just allowed “weeds” to take over, Steiner said.

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Online:

For more about prairie gardens, see this Penn State University Fact Sheet:

http://www.extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/wildlife/landscaping-for-wildlife/pa-wildlife-5

You can contact Dean Fosdick at deanfosdick@netscape.net

Long before the advent of synthetic plant foods, farmers had only two ways to make their fields more fertile. One method was to spread manure from livestock, which proved a labor-intensive method that dates back to the dawn of agriculture. The other option, known as “green manure,” doesn’t use real manure at all, but provides even better results.

Early on, farmers learned that their crops grew better where clover was present. Science later explained this phenomenon as nitrogen fixation, which is prevalent among all members of the pea family, particularly a group known as legumes. With these crops, nitrogen is not obtained from the soil like with other plants. Instead, these species draw atmospheric nitrogen into their leaves and send it down into the roots where it moves out into the surrounding soil.

Somebody got the bright idea of sowing clover all over a crop field in the fall so it could build up nitrogen over the winter months. By spring, these plants were rich with nitrogen throughout their stems and roots. When the time came to start the new garden, the cover crop was tilled into the ground so it decomposed, thereby infusing the soil with fresh organic matter and a bonus dose of nitrogen. This practice caught on and became known as “green manure.”

Today, sowing green-manure cover crops in the fall is a big part of organic gardening for the same reason it was practiced before commercial fertilizers. It works better for larger gardens where a tiller is used. The power of a tiller or rotovator is needed to chop the plants up as it turns the ground.

Green manure is an excellent way to improve soil on a larger site. Consecutive years of green-manuring have helped turn very poor soils into rich ground. It’s a super problem-solver where gardens are being created in heavy clay because, for example, the deep rooting of green-manure plants helps open up dense subsoils.

Those with newly built homes on infertile earth, on cut and fill sites, and on former forest ground, will find the ground lacking in nutrients. To make it suitable for vegetable crops and landscaping in the future, plant a cover crop this fall.

A great resource for learning all the benefits of green manure is GreenCoverSeed.com. This Nebraska-based website is focused on organic-market gardeners. It details some of the most common legumes, such as hairy vetch and crimson clover. Each plant has an extensive fact sheet.

Above all, the company offers seed for the amazing “Nitro radish” (Raphanus sativus), which produces such a deep fat root that it’s ideal for opening up superheavy clays. This is an alternative to what farmers call “deep tillage” for the enhanced drainage done with tractors and specialty implements.

Planting Nitro radish directly into the remnants of this year’s crops achieves similar results without disturbing the soil in a process called “bio-drilling.” The main root can reach 20 inches long, and its smaller taproot goes down 6 feet. Residues of this plant are well-known to release many nutrients, adding as much as 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre in the spring. 

As your garden fizzles in these shorter days of fall, consider sowing an experimental crop on your garden ground. It’s the lazy gardener’s path to fertility. Green manures don’t let your ground lie fallow all winter, but enrich it.

Maureen Gilmer is an author, horticulturist and landscape designer. Learn more at www.MoPlants.com. Contact her at mogilmer@yahoo.com or PO Box 891, Morongo Valley, CA 92256.

The City of Surrey wants Jess Thompson and Cindy Quach’s “unsightly� garden to be removed, despite the garden’s health benefits to their family and environmental perks to their community.

In the summer, Thompson and Quach started a hügelkultur garden on their rented one-acre property in the 8300-block of 168th Street. Hügelkultur is a European farming technique that has proven to be a popular method sustainable food gardening.

“You bury biomass at the base before you warm the bed — you would take things such as branches, leaves, tree trunks, and then put your growing medium over top,� said Quach.

“Over time, the biomass decomposes and releases heat and nutrients.�

The garden provides fresh fruits and vegetables for them and their two children while also preventing the growth of hogweed, an invasive plant with sap that can cause long-lasting blisters, scars and even blindness.

Following hügelkultur methods, the couple mowed down the hogweed, suppressed it with recycled coconut husk, put woodchips on top and created raised bed gardens around their house.

But despite the prevention of hogweed growth, neighbours have complained to the city’s bylaw and licensing department about the garden. Nearby residents initially raised a stink over, well, the stink of the manure when it was first brought in.

“When the woodchips and the manure were freshly delivered onto the property — before the beds were actually built – that was when the complaints started coming in to bylaws,� said Quach. “Before we even had a chance to level out the piles to form the garden beds, the bylaw officer came and looked at the place.�

The smell subsided once the manure was worked into the garden beds, but Quach said there were still complaints to the bylaw department that their garden is an eyesore.

“Initially, (the officer) said, ‘Oh, that’s fantastic, you’re doing the neighbourhood a favour,’� she recalled. “But then a week went by and I suppose more complaints came in to bylaws and we were served with this letter that the property is not in compliance with the unsightly bylaw.�

Thompson and Quach were given 22 days to remedy the infraction under the Unsightly Premises Bylaw, which outlines such criteria as accumulation of refuse, damaged landscaping and broken fencing as reasons a property can be unsightly. They said they called the officer for clarification and were told that levelling out the piles would put them in compliance with the bylaw.

“We levelled it out, we formed our beds, he came back and he was not satisfied,� she said. “They were expecting flat beds, but we’re doing a hügelkultur bed.�

The garden beds resemble small, brown hills made up of bark mulch and soil. Neighbours have also complained about the height of the garden, but Thompson and Quach have noted that, given time to grow, the hills will compress in size while becoming leafy and green in colour.

“The unfortunate thing is there’s no neighbourly communication,� said Quach. “We could have had a chance to explain it to them, but instead of talking to us, they called bylaws instead.�


Thompson added, “They just saw material coming in and they didn’t understand what it was, but they never asked us.�

Furthermore, Thompson and Quach’s property is fenced and surrounded on most sides by trees, including large evergreens lining the front yard along 168th Street. Quach said most people would have to make an effort to see their “unsightly� garden, and Thompson noted that neighbours in support of their garden are wondering why the city isn’t targeting other dilapidated houses in the area.

“There’s one down the street that’s getting hit with graffiti quite a bit,� said Thompson. “When they see an unsightly property, there’s ‘obviously unsightly’ and then there’s somebody trying to do a garden.�

The couple has a petition with about 90 signatures from residents in favour of the garden, as well as verbal praise from the Ministry of Environment and a letter of support from Bob Boyd, a longtime public health inspector with Fraser Health.

“The hügelkultur or raised bed/mound is ideal for urban and suburban lots,� reads Boyd’s letter, noting that the garden falls in line with the City of Surrey’s green movement by conserving water, recycling, composting and eating a 100-mile diet. “These days, when we are constantly hearing about going ‘green,’ growing food in your backyard should be encouraged.�

Jas Rehal, manager of bylaw enforcement with the city, wouldn’t comment on the specifics of the infraction, but said the investigation is ongoing and that the city is working with the owners on a solution.

Ultimately, Thompson and Quach picked hügelkultur gardening as their remedy for hogweed because it was cost-effective, eco-friendly and low maintenance, while also producing more than 90 per cent of their vegetables. If they’re forced to remove their garden, it will be costly and the hogweed will grow back in the area.

The couple hopes to present to the agricultural advisory committee on their situation.

Read more Surrey stories at thenownewspaper.com