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Saturday, July 20, 2013

Frank Crandall, GoLocalWorcester Landscaping Expert

Instead of letting storms ruin your fun, get something out of it by putting the rain to work in a rain garden.

The installation of properly designed rain gardens can offer many benefits to your landscape. Rain gardens can reduce storm water overload in streams, rivers and in storm drains, help to increase groundwater recharge, provide habitat for wildlife, birds and butterflies, require less maintenance than lawns and increase property values. These gardens offer an alternative to traditional lawn and water runoff that may cause pollution to be carried into local waterways. A well-designed rain garden can hold water, help settle out pollutants and return runoff to the groundwater table.

What are Rain Gardens?

Rain gardens are depressions in the lawn designed to catch runoff water from roofs or paved surfaces with help from planted shrubs and perennials that catch the water and help return it into the ground. This allows runoff to infiltrate the soil in your yard preventing water from leaving your property and ending up carrying pollutants into local streams and rivers. Along the coast rain gardens can serve as buffers collecting runoff before it heads into salt water ponds or the ocean. Properly sited rain gardens help to moderate flooding by holding excess water and giving it a chance to infiltrate the soil before running into storm drains.

Locating Your Rain Garden

Depending on your site, rain gardens can be positioned in an area directly out from a downspout (at least 25’ from the foundation to keep water from entering the basement) in the lawn. Keep gardens away from septic areas, low, wet areas on the property (you want to encourage water infiltration into the soil which will not happen in a wet, pond area), wells or deep shady spots. In sunny areas with a properly constructed garden ponding should disappear in 4-6 hours and all water will be infiltrated into the soil within 24 hours.

Sizing Your Garden

Typically the rain garden will be 30-50% of the size of the impervious surface you are draining into the garden. For example if the downspout is catching water off 1200 square feet of roof area your rain garden should be about 480 square feet (40% of 1200 sq. ft.) to catch the runoff. There are more detailed formulas for calculating the size of rain gardens…see URI Cooperative Extension, Rain Gardens: A Design Guide for Homeowners in Rhode Island and UConn Cooperative Extension System, Rain Gardens in Connecticut: A Design Guide for Homeowners and CT NOFA, www.organiclandcare.com.

Drainage in Your Rain Garden

The type of soils you have will determine the depth and drainage materials you will need for your garden. Try a small percolation test where you want to install a garden….dig a test hole 6-12” deep and fill with water…if it has not completely drained in 24 hours you will need to provide additional drainage materials. Typically, for a simple rain garden with good drainage, a depression will be excavated at least 12” deep and building a berm on the downward side if the area slopes. Make sure the material in the excavated bottom is permeable and will allow water to seep through…if not you will need to dig deeper and fill the bottom with crushed stone, place a layer of textile fabric over the stone layer and add soil for planting leaving an approximate 6” depression in the center and sloped areas on the sides. Poorly drained sites will require extensive excavation, several layers of stone, mat, soil and ultimately 3-4” of mulch after the plants are installed.  

Plants for Your Rain Garden  

This part of the rain garden process should be fun! There are many lists available for choosing your plants, Rhode Island Wild Plant Society (www.riwps.org), New England Wildflower Society (www.newfs.org) and the URI Cooperative Extension Sustainable Tree and Shrub Guide. Several good native choices are: winterberry, blue flag iris, panicum, carex sp., summersweet, lobelia, iris sp., monarda, dwarf fothergilla, Joe Pye weed, interrupted fern, wild geranium and woodland phlox.

Mulching Your Garden

Once the planting is done the entire garden area should be covered with 3-4” of a natural (non-dyed) pine bark mulch. The mulch will help to filter the water, slow the runoff off and help to prevent weeds from growing in the garden. In the event of a heavy storm it would be a good idea to install an overflow pipe on the downside berm so water can escape in an unusual rain event. Periodically, a refreshing of mulch, dead heading and pruning may be necessary for the plants in the garden to thrive. Inspections after a rain event will be wise to monitor how the garden is functioning and completing any additional planting or adjustments to the garden.

Landscaping for Droughts and Water Bans!

In my next article I will detail ways to landscape during droughts and maintaining your gardens and landscapes during water bans. It begins with water conservation, preparing your plants for droughts and selecting plants that will perform well with minimal watering!

“With landscaping you never seem to reach the point when you feel the job is complete.”

 

Frank Crandall, Horticultural Solutions. Frank is a R.I. resident specializing in coastal landscaping, organic land care, small business consulting, writing, speaking photography and will be submitting biweekly articles about Landscape Solutions. Frank just published his third book, Creating a More Peaceful, Happy and Successful Life! You can read more about his book on his website, www.FrankCrandall3.com. Comments about Frank’s articles are welcome by contacting him at FrankCrandall3@gmail.com.

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To walk through an amazing garden is like stepping into another world with all your senses on alert. Colors, textures, shapes envelop you. A bee buzzes around you. The smell of roses fills the air.

We asked St. Louisans if their garden had what it takes to be crowned the best in the area. More than 200 gardeners responded in our Post-Dispatch Annual Great Garden Contest.

Picking just six winners (first, second and third place in the amateur division and the amateur with professional help division) was a challenge for our four judges. But design, color and elegance stole the show.

And the winners received some great prizes:

• First place in both categories: $1,000 gift card from the Home Depot; $100 to For the Garden; $100 to Sugar Creek Gardens

• Second place in both categories: $150 to the Bug Store; $100 to Sherwood’s Forest; $50 to Sugar Creek Gardens; $50 to Bowood Farms; $25 to For the Garden; $25 to Hillermann Nursery and Florist.

• Third place in both categories: $50 to the Bug Store; $50 to Sugar Creek Gardens; $50 to Sherwood’s Forest; $25 to Bowood Farms; $25 to For the Garden; $25 to Hillermann Nursery and Florist.

• Every winner receives a $25 gift card from Eckert’s Garden Center and a family membership to the Missouri Botanical Garden, valued at $150.

AMATEUR WITH

PROFESSIONAL HELP

First place • Debbie Hadley

Home • Webster Groves

Family • Husband Bob; three grown children

Occupation • Debbie is the owner of Gardening Angel Landscaping in Webster Groves, and Bob is a machinist at Bodine Aluminum.

 

The success of the Hadleys’ garden lies in their two ponds, a wooden swing, a hammock, tables, benches, a bottle tree, a fountain, an arbor, a pergola, statues, bird baths, and, of course, the plants. They have a variety of plants, including 42 trees, hundreds of shrubs and thousands of perennials.

The couple started renovating their primitive backyard and badminton court into a lush garden in 1995, when Debbie was just getting interested in gardening. In 2003, she opened a landscaping business, and her staff helped construct the second pond and made a handmade swinging bench. A fire pit was also installed.

The couple moved into their home 33 years ago and raised three kids. Originally, the home was purchased by Debbie’s great-grandparents when they came from England in 1909. Five generations of Debbie’s family have lived there.

The half-acre garden’s design includes levels. Each level is bordered with walls built by Debbie’s dad and grandfather 60 years ago and constructed of broken concrete from the streets of St. Louis.

“My yard has been my test and trial garden,” Debbie says. Twelve years ago, they built an 8,000-gallon pond, home to 26 large koi. It has a stream, waterfall and a bridge. The smaller pond, built three years ago, showcases a tall, double waterfall and three fish. Hardy and tropical plants surround both ponds.

The paths are all made of natural stone, and among the varieties are granite boulders.

All four of our judges chose this winning garden. “This has all the elements of a great and soothing getaway garden, not only to stroll through but to stop and relax and enjoy the sounds of nature,” says Fred Ortlip, master gardener and Post-Dispatch copy editor.

Chip Tynan and June Hutson at the Missouri Botanical Garden agree. “Water feature is excellent. Wonderful paths to view close-up many beautiful specimens of plants. Split level pools in foreground plus waterfall in background. Many beautiful conifers dot the landscape, giving a sense of structure.”

Debbie says, “Our garden will never be finished. We love to add things and change it up.”

Second place • Dee Jay Hubbard

Home • Ballwin

Family • Wife, Audrey; two grown sons, Brock and Colin

Occupation • He’s a retired speech pathologist with the Veterans Administration, and she’s a retired teacher.

 

After a trip to England, Dee Jay and Audrey Hubbard wanted to bring back more than a spot of tea. With the help of gardening professionals, they built a luscious garden spot inspired by the gardens they saw on their trip.

“We were tired of looking at an asphalt driveway and large parking pad,” Dee Jay says. In 2000, Chesterfield Valley Nursery tore up the asphalt, graded the area and built a mound for the waterfall. They dug the pond, put all the stone in and began planting most of the major trees and shrubs such as boxwood, holly, lilac, bright yellow shrubs, a Weeping Atlas cedar tree and an oak. The nursery also constructed a flagstone garden path, and the couple placed wood chips around the stone. Christine O’Brien, production manager at Bowood Farms’ growing facility in Clarksville, Mo., helped with the selection of the perennial plantings. The stone pillars were built by Jim Fobian, a private stone mason.

“It’s still a work in progress,” Audrey says. “Every year we’re planting new plants, cutting back bushes and replacing hostas that have been eaten by the deer and rabbits.”

Judge Ken Miller of Miller Horticultural and owner of the Bug Store says, “It’s a garden where wild and elegance interact. Tastefully appointed and elegant garden in an elegant setting.”

Third place • Kathy Gugger

Home • Edwardsville

Family • Husband, Joe; children, two grown daughters

Occupation • Kathy is a retired dentist, and Joe is self-employed.

 

Not all backyards are perfectly flat. When the Guggers moved into their home in 1987, they decided to utilize their terraced (upper and lower) 2 1/2-acre backyard design. In 2005, with the assistance of Burns Landscaping in Edwardsville (closed in 2007), they inserted large rocks into the yard slopes and built a gravel pit. A waterfall was constructed next to a garden path. Tile setters from Premier Hardwoods in Pontoon Beach built a blue-stone terrace for seating. The couple purchased two stone benches from the Market Basket in Edwardsville to create a relaxing area around the fire pit on the terrace. They planted prairie-type flowers such as black-eyed Susans, different types of grasses and tiger lilies. “I have three helpers to keep my garden looking great,” Kathy says. “Me, myself and I.”

Miller says, “It’s a great execution of waterfall and great natural design. Dramatic use of the hillside with many beautiful specimen plants.”

AMATEUR DIVISION

First place • Terry Metzler

Home • South St. Louis County

Family • Husband, Steve; grown son, Matt

Occupation • Dental hygienist

 

When the Metzlers bought their South County house in 1990, the backyard was “a dust bowl on a hill.” They started by planting trees and grass. “One year later, my husband convinced me we needed a fish pond,” Terry says. That began their journey to their award-winning garden.

It’s now mostly Terry’s baby. “When we got married, I told my husband I love to cut the grass,” she says. “However, working full time and being a mom, I could not do it all. We made a deal. I do the lawn and gardening, and he does the laundry. It makes for a great marriage.”

The garden consists of more than 350 hostas with 250 different varieties. There are coral bells, hellebores, azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, ferns, evergreens and 17 different types of Japanese maples.

For color, Terry has peonies and daylilies, several kinds of iris, roses and other perennials. “When I started gardening I thought the flowers were IT. I have come to appreciate all the textures and shades of greens and purples present just in the leaves of my plants.”

Our judges (three of whom chose Terry as their first-place winner) loved the layers, too. Tynan, of the Missouri Botanical Garden, says: “The contrasting texture and color of foliage lend interest in the absence of flowers. The clock and plantings between the streams lend a new meaning to the term ‘island bed.’”

Ortlip agreed: “A backyard with a long slope toward a house can be a nightmare or a perfect landscaping opportunity, and Terry took a lemon of a layout and created a great glass of lemonade. The hardscapes and water combine with an appealing variety of color in the deciduous and evergreen plantings to make this a remarkable getaway, just outside the back door.”

Terry says she spends about 20 hours a week on her garden, “but I love it. I just love it.”

Second place • Karen Frimel

Home • Ladue

Family • Husband, Greg; three grown daughters

Occupation • Karen works part time for her dad’s company; Greg is a dentist

 

Except for the front of the house and some edges of the garden, the Frimels’ house is in total shade. After removing river rock and Japanese honeysuckle, Karen started dividing the common hosta that were already there. “Thanks to the St. Louis Hosta Society, (I learned) that there were really so many more choices,” she says.

Greg found ornamental trees to create an interesting understory to the large ones already in the yard. Favorites include several varieties of Japanese maples, tricolor beech, peeling bark maples and many varieties of dogwoods. Over the years, Karen added hydrangea, ferns, lenten roses, bulbs and azaleas. “Gardening ‘in the woods’ has been a challenge. I like neat and tidy, but I cannot have it too formal or use tropicals and keep the woodland feel.”

Hutson, of the Missouri Botanical Garden, says she liked the well-placed steppingstones that “provide a meandering path through hosta specimens of many colors.” Miller, from the Bug Store, says he loved the exciting and bold contrast of leave and their colors. “Truly an alluring shade garden.”

Third place • Phyllis Weidman

Home • Kirkwood

Family • Husband, Jim; two grown children

Occupation • Homemaker; Jim is a consultant to nonprofits

 

The Weidmans’ garden is divided by a long, meandering dry creek that helps drain the three terraces that go up the hill in the back of the house to the edge of a woods. It contains about 350 varieties of hostas, Japanese maples, conifers and shade companion plants.

“As the years have passed, the garden beds continue to grow with the grass area becoming smaller and smaller,” Phyllis says.

Judge Miller appreciated the “powerful combination of texture, form and leaf color to create a striking composition.”

To walk through an amazing garden is like stepping into another world with all your senses on alert. Colors, textures, shapes envelop you. A bee buzzes around you. The smell of roses fills the air.

We asked St. Louisans if their garden had what it takes to be crowned the best in the area. More than 200 gardeners responded in our Post-Dispatch Annual Great Garden Contest.

Picking just six winners (first, second and third place in the amateur division and the amateur with professional help division) was a challenge for our four judges. But design, color and elegance stole the show.

And the winners received some great prizes:

• First place in both categories: $1,000 gift card from the Home Depot; $100 to For the Garden; $100 to Sugar Creek Gardens

• Second place in both categories: $150 to the Bug Store; $100 to Sherwood’s Forest; $50 to Sugar Creek Gardens; $50 to Bowood Farms; $25 to For the Garden; $25 to Hillermann Nursery and Florist.

• Third place in both categories: $50 to the Bug Store; $50 to Sugar Creek Gardens; $50 to Sherwood’s Forest; $25 to Bowood Farms; $25 to For the Garden; $25 to Hillermann Nursery and Florist.

• Every winner receives a $25 gift card from Eckert’s Garden Center and a family membership to the Missouri Botanical Garden, valued at $150.

AMATEUR WITH

PROFESSIONAL HELP

First place • Debbie Hadley

Home • Webster Groves

Family • Husband Bob; three grown children

Occupation • Debbie is the owner of Gardening Angel Landscaping in Webster Groves, and Bob is a machinist at Bodine Aluminum.

 

The success of the Hadleys’ garden lies in their two ponds, a wooden swing, a hammock, tables, benches, a bottle tree, a fountain, an arbor, a pergola, statues, bird baths, and, of course, the plants. They have a variety of plants, including 42 trees, hundreds of shrubs and thousands of perennials.

The couple started renovating their primitive backyard and badminton court into a lush garden in 1995, when Debbie was just getting interested in gardening. In 2003, she opened a landscaping business, and her staff helped construct the second pond and made a handmade swinging bench. A fire pit was also installed.

The couple moved into their home 33 years ago and raised three kids. Originally, the home was purchased by Debbie’s great-grandparents when they came from England in 1909. Five generations of Debbie’s family have lived there.

The half-acre garden’s design includes levels. Each level is bordered with walls built by Debbie’s dad and grandfather 60 years ago and constructed of broken concrete from the streets of St. Louis.

“My yard has been my test and trial garden,” Debbie says. Twelve years ago, they built an 8,000-gallon pond, home to 26 large koi. It has a stream, waterfall and a bridge. The smaller pond, built three years ago, showcases a tall, double waterfall and three fish. Hardy and tropical plants surround both ponds.

The paths are all made of natural stone, and among the varieties are granite boulders.

All four of our judges chose this winning garden. “This has all the elements of a great and soothing getaway garden, not only to stroll through but to stop and relax and enjoy the sounds of nature,” says Fred Ortlip, master gardener and Post-Dispatch copy editor.

Chip Tynan and June Hutson at the Missouri Botanical Garden agree. “Water feature is excellent. Wonderful paths to view close-up many beautiful specimens of plants. Split level pools in foreground plus waterfall in background. Many beautiful conifers dot the landscape, giving a sense of structure.”

Debbie says, “Our garden will never be finished. We love to add things and change it up.”

Second place • Dee Jay Hubbard

Home • Ballwin

Family • Wife, Audrey; two grown sons, Brock and Colin

Occupation • He’s a retired speech pathologist with the Veterans Administration, and she’s a retired teacher.

 

After a trip to England, Dee Jay and Audrey Hubbard wanted to bring back more than a spot of tea. With the help of gardening professionals, they built a luscious garden spot inspired by the gardens they saw on their trip.

“We were tired of looking at an asphalt driveway and large parking pad,” Dee Jay says. In 2000, Chesterfield Valley Nursery tore up the asphalt, graded the area and built a mound for the waterfall. They dug the pond, put all the stone in and began planting most of the major trees and shrubs such as boxwood, holly, lilac, bright yellow shrubs, a Weeping Atlas cedar tree and an oak. The nursery also constructed a flagstone garden path, and the couple placed wood chips around the stone. Christine O’Brien, production manager at Bowood Farms’ growing facility in Clarksville, Mo., helped with the selection of the perennial plantings. The stone pillars were built by Jim Fobian, a private stone mason.

“It’s still a work in progress,” Audrey says. “Every year we’re planting new plants, cutting back bushes and replacing hostas that have been eaten by the deer and rabbits.”

Judge Ken Miller of Miller Horticultural and owner of the Bug Store says, “It’s a garden where wild and elegance interact. Tastefully appointed and elegant garden in an elegant setting.”

Third place • Kathy Gugger

Home • Edwardsville

Family • Husband, Joe; children, two grown daughters

Occupation • Kathy is a retired dentist, and Joe is self-employed.

 

Not all backyards are perfectly flat. When the Guggers moved into their home in 1987, they decided to utilize their terraced (upper and lower) 2 1/2-acre backyard design. In 2005, with the assistance of Burns Landscaping in Edwardsville (closed in 2007), they inserted large rocks into the yard slopes and built a gravel pit. A waterfall was constructed next to a garden path. Tile setters from Premier Hardwoods in Pontoon Beach built a blue-stone terrace for seating. The couple purchased two stone benches from the Market Basket in Edwardsville to create a relaxing area around the fire pit on the terrace. They planted prairie-type flowers such as black-eyed Susans, different types of grasses and tiger lilies. “I have three helpers to keep my garden looking great,” Kathy says. “Me, myself and I.”

Miller says, “It’s a great execution of waterfall and great natural design. Dramatic use of the hillside with many beautiful specimen plants.”

AMATEUR DIVISION

First place • Terry Metzler

Home • South St. Louis County

Family • Husband, Steve; grown son, Matt

Occupation • Dental hygienist

 

When the Metzlers bought their South County house in 1990, the backyard was “a dust bowl on a hill.” They started by planting trees and grass. “One year later, my husband convinced me we needed a fish pond,” Terry says. That began their journey to their award-winning garden.

It’s now mostly Terry’s baby. “When we got married, I told my husband I love to cut the grass,” she says. “However, working full time and being a mom, I could not do it all. We made a deal. I do the lawn and gardening, and he does the laundry. It makes for a great marriage.”

The garden consists of more than 350 hostas with 250 different varieties. There are coral bells, hellebores, azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, ferns, evergreens and 17 different types of Japanese maples.

For color, Terry has peonies and daylilies, several kinds of iris, roses and other perennials. “When I started gardening I thought the flowers were IT. I have come to appreciate all the textures and shades of greens and purples present just in the leaves of my plants.”

Our judges (three of whom chose Terry as their first-place winner) loved the layers, too. Tynan, of the Missouri Botanical Garden, says: “The contrasting texture and color of foliage lend interest in the absence of flowers. The clock and plantings between the streams lend a new meaning to the term ‘island bed.’”

Ortlip agreed: “A backyard with a long slope toward a house can be a nightmare or a perfect landscaping opportunity, and Terry took a lemon of a layout and created a great glass of lemonade. The hardscapes and water combine with an appealing variety of color in the deciduous and evergreen plantings to make this a remarkable getaway, just outside the back door.”

Terry says she spends about 20 hours a week on her garden, “but I love it. I just love it.”

Second place • Karen Frimel

Home • Ladue

Family • Husband, Greg; three grown daughters

Occupation • Karen works part time for her dad’s company; Greg is a dentist

 

Except for the front of the house and some edges of the garden, the Frimels’ house is in total shade. After removing river rock and Japanese honeysuckle, Karen started dividing the common hosta that were already there. “Thanks to the St. Louis Hosta Society, (I learned) that there were really so many more choices,” she says.

Greg found ornamental trees to create an interesting understory to the large ones already in the yard. Favorites include several varieties of Japanese maples, tricolor beech, peeling bark maples and many varieties of dogwoods. Over the years, Karen added hydrangea, ferns, lenten roses, bulbs and azaleas. “Gardening ‘in the woods’ has been a challenge. I like neat and tidy, but I cannot have it too formal or use tropicals and keep the woodland feel.”

Hutson, of the Missouri Botanical Garden, says she liked the well-placed steppingstones that “provide a meandering path through hosta specimens of many colors.” Miller, from the Bug Store, says he loved the exciting and bold contrast of leave and their colors. “Truly an alluring shade garden.”

Third place • Phyllis Weidman

Home • Kirkwood

Family • Husband, Jim; two grown children

Occupation • Homemaker; Jim is a consultant to nonprofits

 

The Weidmans’ garden is divided by a long, meandering dry creek that helps drain the three terraces that go up the hill in the back of the house to the edge of a woods. It contains about 350 varieties of hostas, Japanese maples, conifers and shade companion plants.

“As the years have passed, the garden beds continue to grow with the grass area becoming smaller and smaller,” Phyllis says.

Judge Miller appreciated the “powerful combination of texture, form and leaf color to create a striking composition.”

By Sarah Cosgrove
17 July 2013

By Matthew Appleby
19 July 2013

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — (Marketwired) — 07/17/13 — Janet Moyer Landscaping (JML), a full service landscaping company in San Francisco devoted to addressing the unique challenges of urban gardens, received an “Outstanding Achievement” award from the Bay Area Chapter of the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) as part of its 40th Annual Beautification Awards program held last month.

Located in the historic Haight Street district of San Francisco, the winning garden was designed by Janet Moyer. By selecting native plants and using drip irrigation with a ‘Smart Irrigation’ controller, the garden requires minimal maintenance and very little water. The plants selected produce a beautiful garden that can be enjoyed year-round while conserving valuable resources.

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 525 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. Over the years, JML has received several “Outstanding Achievement” awards from the California Landscape Contractors Association. In 2013, JML was a sponsor of the Garden Bloggers Fling held in San Francisco. 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.

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Contact:
Carol Crawford
Crawford Communications
415-239-1550
Email Contact

Elizabeth Wheale spends winters on the ski hill and summers working outside in other people’s yards.

The 28-year-old recently finished a landscape gardener apprenticeship and started her own business, Fair Haven Landscaping. The Red Deer-based company services central Alberta, including rural areas, completing projects ranging from building retaining walls to starting flower gardens from scratch.

Landscape gardening is a red seal trade that requires a four-year apprenticeship, including a minimum of 1,200 hours of on-the-job training and eight weeks of technical training each year.

Wheale grew up on a farm and enjoyed working outside, including a winter job as a ski instructor. But she hadn’t considered a career in the landscaping trade until she started working for a local company.

“Originally I was actually planning to go to the United

Kingdom and do a bachelor’s degree in theology and youth work,” Wheale remembers.

However the program she had her eye on didn’t start until June and Wheale’s ski instructor job had finished for the season, leaving her looking for work for a few months. She ended up at a Red Deer landscaping company, where the owner encouraged Wheale to consider an apprenticeship.

“He saw the potential there and told me about the apprenticeship and said I’ll hire you for the summer, but I want you to do an apprenticeship. I hadn’t been totally sure about moving to the United Kingdom, and once I started working it made sense to stay,” she said.

She finished her apprenticeship with top marks and earned the Top Apprentice Award in 2011 for landscape gardener.

Landscape gardeners can work for a variety of employers, including landscape architects, contractors, nurseries, tree farms, greenhouses, cemeteries, governments, garden centres and landscape supply outlets.

Others, such as Wheale, are self-employed.

“I enjoy the challenges that come from different people and their different preferences. I get bored easily so it’s nice to have variety,” she said.

Still, Wheale points out that starting a business comes with challenges.

“It’s thinking through the estimates and cost evaluations and valuing your own time and deciding what hours you’re willing to work and what type of work you’re willing to do. There’s lots of logistics you have to work through and you’ve just got to do it, and any entrepreneur is like that,” she said. Wheale said one of the biggest challenges she’s encountered so far is getting customers to understand they get what they pay for.

“Cheap is out there, it’s just not skilled,” Wheale said.

Educating customers about the finer points of landscape gardening is something that Wheale enjoys. “I think education is a huge thing. As the world moves more to organics and ecologically friendly practices, it’s even more important to have skilled, trained people,” Wheale said.

Laura Caddy has also made a career out of working with plants. The red seal landscape horticulturist works year-round at the Devonian Botanic Garden, southwest of Edmonton.

“I’ve been gardening since I could walk,” said Caddy, who worked in greenhouses in Red Deer after finishing high school.

MINERAL WELLS — Clark Gardens Botanical Park is a hidden beauty that should be better known.

Gravel trails wind through 35 acres of blooms accented by water features, swans and a garden railroad. Nothing was planned on paper, says its executive director, Carol Clark Montgomery, so you might think it is a trifle disorganized. You would be wrong.

In fact, the beds are well-marked, logical extensions of the minds of Max and Billie Clark, the couple who bought the property in 1972 and transformed it gradually over the decades. To fully appreciate its arrangement, you have to view the neat iris beds, with named varieties planted in alphabetical order.

“When they purchased the property, it was such an unattractive piece of neglected land. It wasn’t even really farmland,” Montgomery says.

“We took an old pasture and managed to make it into something halfway presentable,” says Max Clark, Montgomery’s father.

Clark began by planting trees, then he landscaped around them; eventually he expanded landscape beds until more acreage was landscaped than not.

The gardens were more than a simple hobby. “They built it for their own personal pleasure and then, as it grew, it just became something bigger than them,” Montgomery says. The love of gardening and parkland followed. “It was a very accidental dream. It really did just happen.

“There was never an idea of let’s build a big botanical park and donate it to the community,” she says. “It was never like that. It was really built from the love of hard work and gardening.”

Eventually, the Clarks reached a turning point in their decades-long project.

“My parents realized that they had built something bigger than a backyard,” says Montgomery. The couple established the nonprofit Max and Billie Clark Foundation in 1999 and donated 143 acres, including the garden, to it. “Our task is to wean us off their money and be more self-sustaining,” she says.

Billie Clark died in 2011. Her husband, Max, still works 60 to 70 hours a week in the botanical park, much of it on his 85-year-old knees.

“Billie and I put together a stroll garden,” Clark says. “That’s all it is.

“Landscaping and gardening is what you’ve learned from other places,” he says. “We took an old pasture and managed to make it into something halfway presentable.”

Max is being modest. The roses alone are worth the trip; Clark Gardens was a test garden for the Texas AM AgriLife Extension Service’s Earth-Kind rose program. It is also an iris demonstration site, with more than 3,000 irises on display, mostly the tall bearded type. Of course, the irises are particularly stunning during a window of about a month in the spring.

In May, Clark Gardens was awash in pink double, ruffled poppies. “About 15 years ago, my mother threw out a handful of seeds,” says Montgomery. Now, “we have literally hundred of thousands.”

The natural order of things is bluebonnets in bloom first, then poppies, then irises, then roses. In the summer, there are hibiscus shrubs, cannas and Texas natives.

In summer, “I tell people if they’ll just come and plan their visit for the morning, it is very comfortable until about 2,” Montgomery says. “And then about 2, I’d say go home.”

Fall brings asters and relief from the heat. The Christmas season features lights, Santa Claus, hayrides and more. (See clarkgardens.org/visit/bloom-dates.html for monthly listings of blooms.)

The lush surroundings don’t result from gallons of supplemental water in any season; water for irrigation comes from lakes on the property. Max was an early adopter of plants that thrive naturally, without a lot of watering, on his land.

Clark Gardens is an excellent place to add knowledge to your own repertoire by seeing identified flowers, shrubs and trees and absorbing landscaping ideas. Or just to enjoy a quiet day walking the grounds and looking for inspiration.

Montgomery’s informal polls show that only about 20 percent of visitors come from the Dallas area, and rarely from Dallas itself. That’s too bad, because Clark Gardens is a spot that deserves a lot more attention.

Visiting Clark Gardens

Clark Gardens, 567 Maddux Road in Weatherford, is north of U.S. Highway 180, just east of Mineral Wells and close to Mineral Wells State Park. The gardens are open every day. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Sunday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and $5 for children ages 5 to 12. Children younger than 5 are free. For more information, see clarkgardens.org.

Wes and Cyndi prepare for visitors at the Gladwin Master Gardener Garden Tour on July 20.

Posted: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 3:05 pm

Garden Tour starts July 20

By Wes and Cindy Alexander

Gladwin County Record and Beaverton Clarion

We have always enjoyed attending farm and garden tours. Whenever the opportunity arose, we would sign up to participate in the tour, seeing new practices and experiencing new ideas.

Now it is our turn to host one of the stops on an upcoming garden tour. The Gladwin County Master Gardeners and the Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring their sixth annual garden tour this Saturday, July 20. The local garden tour will showcase flower and vegetable gardens and beautiful landscaping throughout the northern Gladwin County area.

We will welcome you to our Farm, Villa de la Cyanocitta cristata, (translates to “Home to the Blue Jay”). We purchased this property when we moved here from Virginia in February 2010. After retiring from careers as agronomists at Virginia Tech University we knew we would continue experimenting in our own garden and orchard.

Several items of interest to gardeners and produce growers will be highlighted; including our deer fence, drip irrigation and intensive planting system.

As soon as the soil warmed after our first winter here, we planted a small family garden and orchard. However, surrounded by woods, we observed a potential deer problem. In Virginia we had many years of research with deer fencing protecting high dollar crops like pumpkins, collards, and peanuts. We also conducted many forage experiments and the deer had to be controlled for any useful data to be collected.

Our deer fence is electric and works on the principle that deer lack depth perception. There are two poly tape fences three feet apart. As a deer approaches the outer fence it stops to contemplate distance between fences before jumping. They either sense the electric or receive a shock and quickly change their mind about entering the garden.

Our second concern was the very sandy, droughty soil. We decided to install a drip irrigation system. The drip system does not require a huge source of water and is something we could install ourselves.

We started selling produce at the Gladwin Farmers’ Market in 2011. The market was located in the parking lot behind the present day market pavilion on State Street. Last year Gladwin City built a market pavilion and we decided to expand our operation. We also sell at the Houghton Lake Farmers’ Market on Fridays.

This year we will market sugar snap peas, rhubarb, radish, spinach, Swiss chard, Romaine, mixed greens, cabbage, potatoes, snap beans, wax beans, tomatoes, summer squash, fall squash, zucchini, and cucumbers. In the future we hope to include fruit in our inventory as our young trees mature and begin to produce. We also specialize in honey and maple syrup. Our bees not only make honey but also are invaluable pollinators. We tap 100 maple trees and evaporate and bottle our own maple syrup.

The Garden Tour is also a means of raising funds for the Master Gardeners. A ticket allows access to all eight stops and cost $8 prior to the tour date or $10 the day of the tour. Tickets are available at Chemical Bank in Beaverton and Gladwin, Flower Scents, Lyle’s Flowers, Stone Cottage Gardens, Chamber of Commerce, Sugar Springs POA Office, and Lakeside Golf Course. For garden tour information, please call 989-429-9639 or 989-426-5220.

More about Landscape

• ARTICLE: The Art of Gardening
• ARTICLE: Earth Day Celebration April 19
• ARTICLE: How to have blooming flowers for any garden
• ARTICLE: Are you interested in a Community Garden?

More about Garden

• ARTICLE: Master Gardeners to host Garden Tour
• ARTICLE: The Art of Gardening
• ARTICLE: Community gardens take root in Clare County
• ARTICLE: 2013 Mid-Michigan Farm and Garden Committee

More about Deer

• ARTICLE: MAMA WITH HER BABIES
• ARTICLE: She shakes “Buck Fever” downs “monster” 8-point
• ARTICLE: Kaytlin Hall
• ARTICLE: Hillary Aspin: Educating public is part of the biz

• 
  Discuss
  
• Print
  
  
  

Posted in
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Tuesday, July 16, 2013 3:05 pm.

| Tags:


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Soil Science,

Drip Irrigation,

Irrigation,

Gladwin County Record

Wes and Cyndi prepare for visitors at the Gladwin Master Gardener Garden Tour on July 20.

Posted: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 3:05 pm

Garden Tour starts July 20

By Wes and Cindy Alexander

Gladwin County Record and Beaverton Clarion

We have always enjoyed attending farm and garden tours. Whenever the opportunity arose, we would sign up to participate in the tour, seeing new practices and experiencing new ideas.

Now it is our turn to host one of the stops on an upcoming garden tour. The Gladwin County Master Gardeners and the Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring their sixth annual garden tour this Saturday, July 20. The local garden tour will showcase flower and vegetable gardens and beautiful landscaping throughout the northern Gladwin County area.

We will welcome you to our Farm, Villa de la Cyanocitta cristata, (translates to “Home to the Blue Jay”). We purchased this property when we moved here from Virginia in February 2010. After retiring from careers as agronomists at Virginia Tech University we knew we would continue experimenting in our own garden and orchard.

Several items of interest to gardeners and produce growers will be highlighted; including our deer fence, drip irrigation and intensive planting system.

As soon as the soil warmed after our first winter here, we planted a small family garden and orchard. However, surrounded by woods, we observed a potential deer problem. In Virginia we had many years of research with deer fencing protecting high dollar crops like pumpkins, collards, and peanuts. We also conducted many forage experiments and the deer had to be controlled for any useful data to be collected.

Our deer fence is electric and works on the principle that deer lack depth perception. There are two poly tape fences three feet apart. As a deer approaches the outer fence it stops to contemplate distance between fences before jumping. They either sense the electric or receive a shock and quickly change their mind about entering the garden.

Our second concern was the very sandy, droughty soil. We decided to install a drip irrigation system. The drip system does not require a huge source of water and is something we could install ourselves.

We started selling produce at the Gladwin Farmers’ Market in 2011. The market was located in the parking lot behind the present day market pavilion on State Street. Last year Gladwin City built a market pavilion and we decided to expand our operation. We also sell at the Houghton Lake Farmers’ Market on Fridays.

This year we will market sugar snap peas, rhubarb, radish, spinach, Swiss chard, Romaine, mixed greens, cabbage, potatoes, snap beans, wax beans, tomatoes, summer squash, fall squash, zucchini, and cucumbers. In the future we hope to include fruit in our inventory as our young trees mature and begin to produce. We also specialize in honey and maple syrup. Our bees not only make honey but also are invaluable pollinators. We tap 100 maple trees and evaporate and bottle our own maple syrup.

The Garden Tour is also a means of raising funds for the Master Gardeners. A ticket allows access to all eight stops and cost $8 prior to the tour date or $10 the day of the tour. Tickets are available at Chemical Bank in Beaverton and Gladwin, Flower Scents, Lyle’s Flowers, Stone Cottage Gardens, Chamber of Commerce, Sugar Springs POA Office, and Lakeside Golf Course. For garden tour information, please call 989-429-9639 or 989-426-5220.

More about Landscape

• ARTICLE: The Art of Gardening
• ARTICLE: Earth Day Celebration April 19
• ARTICLE: How to have blooming flowers for any garden
• ARTICLE: Are you interested in a Community Garden?

More about Garden

• ARTICLE: Master Gardeners to host Garden Tour
• ARTICLE: The Art of Gardening
• ARTICLE: Community gardens take root in Clare County
• ARTICLE: 2013 Mid-Michigan Farm and Garden Committee

More about Deer

• ARTICLE: MAMA WITH HER BABIES
• ARTICLE: She shakes “Buck Fever” downs “monster” 8-point
• ARTICLE: Kaytlin Hall
• ARTICLE: Hillary Aspin: Educating public is part of the biz

• 
  Discuss
  
• Print
  
  
  

Posted in
Community

on

Tuesday, July 16, 2013 3:05 pm.

| Tags:


Landscape,

Garden,

Deer,

Land Use,

Soil Science,

Drip Irrigation,

Irrigation,

Gladwin County Record