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PUTNAM COUNTY — Clean Commission board members met recently with state, county and business representatives to try to focus on what is quickly becoming a problem in Putnam County — illegal tire dumping.

“It’s so sad because this is a beautiful place, and to see the tires on the side of the road, it just kills me,” Shannon Reese, Clean Commission board member, said.

The main problem seems to be the fact that it frequently costs more than people and some tire dealers are willing to pay to legally dispose of tires.

“The problem is multifaceted,” Reese said. “We need to educate people what to do with tires and why it’s important. We have to have a program that is not overly expensive for people to dispose of them. … If you have all these tires and you can’t afford to take them to the dump, you’re just going to leave them on your property or dump them illegally.”

Illegally dumped tires can pose a health hazard. When they collect rainwater, they become a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitos, and when they are stacked together there is potential for fire.

“I want to encourage the state of Tennessee and Putnam County to have incentives for people to use (the tires). There are so many uses,” Reese said.

Some of those uses include as ingredients in molded black plasticware, asphalt for roads, parking lots and driveways, landscaping material, in place of coal, backfill in construction, and in place of stone in septic lines.

Though there are more and more uses being found for shredded tires, the problem is that there are no local tire-shredding facilities. This is because that a great deal of money has to be spent upfront to set up the recycling facility before a state permit can be issued — and there is no guarantee that after it is set up that it will receive licensing. Plus there’s the expense of shredding the tires.

“You have to have a tremendous amount of tires coming in to shred so you can pay for this equipment, and also these big machines can do 10,000 tires a day. We don’t have that supply in the state of Tennessee,” Reese said.

According to Reese, Tennessee only produces about 5,000 a year that need to be disposed of — which is still a pollution problem, but not a large enough one to draw in a tire shredding company.

The Clean Commission meeting presented the issue, but as of yet, members have been unable to find a solution to the tire problem in Putnam County. Members are still researching and hope to meet again with more options to help make the community a cleaner and healthier place to live.

“I think we should start looking at other states and see how they’re managing the problem,” Reese said. “I think we need to keep it in the forefront. I think we need to keep talking about it. Eventually we’re going to figure this out.”

To keep updated on upcoming meetings or offer ideas to help control illegal tire dumping in Putnam County, call the Clean Commission at 931-537-3278 or email cleancommission@gmail.com.

Daylight Saving Time officially began at 2 o’clock this morning. If you’re one of those people whose lives revolve around the sun, it takes some adjustment.

Just what time will the sun set in Ankeny tonight?

Sunset is at 7:16 p.m. Sunrise on Monday is 7:32 a.m.

The vernal equinox is on March 20. From that point on, we’ll be enjoying more hours of daylight. On the first day of spring, the sun rises at 7:17 a.m. and sets at 7:27 p.m.

By May Day, Ankeny will have 14 hours and 3 minutes of daylight, with the sun rising at 6:10 a.m. and setting at 8:13 p.m.

Here are a couple of ideas to consider now that the days are longer. Add your suggestions in the comments.

Start exercising outside. An extra hour of daylight at the end of the day gives you time for a bike ride of walk. Many of Ankeny’s trails are paved, and once the weather warms up, head out on the High Trestle Trail.

Plant some things in your garden. Yes, it’s too soon for plants, but not too early to start planning garden decor. Get a feel for what you want to do at TNT Landscaping or Earl May Garden Center.

Click photo to enlarge

LAS CRUCES —Spring is officially just 10 days away, and many are already in the mood for home spruce-up projects and a little gardening.

They braved fierce Saturday windstorms to attend the 2013 Las Cruces Home and Garden Show, continuing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave.

“I come every year. It’s great,” said Norma Hood of Las Cruces.

“I’ve just moved here and I’m looking for a new home. I’m getting lots of ideas,” said Mary Prather.

“I just bought a house. I’m interested in solar, and I’ve been looking at windows,” said John Vigil.

Throughout the weekend, thousands are expected to attend the show, presented by the Las Cruces Home Builders Association (LCHMA).

“We have about 70 venders, a few more than we had last year, along with seminars and Master Gardeners and things going on all day,” said Steve Chavira, managing director of the LCHMA.

“We’re rebuilding a HUD house and we have a lot to do. We’re looking for house and landscaping ideas,” said Lois Waid, checking out the show with her husband Rambert, who said he found tiles he had been looking for.

Several vendors offered raffles, chances at prizes, discounts and invitations to seminars.

“I’m the show chairman this year, and we’re working to expand the garden portion of the home and garden show,” said Steve Bower of Red Mesa Landscaping and Design, who worked with volunteers for “two full days” and cooperated with purveyors of outdoor

furnishings and garden accessories to create a large, lush interior landscape of trees, bushes and pots of flowers.

“We’re getting a lot of new people this year asking questions. When you come from someplace like California, you bring your gardening instincts with you, but when you come to the Southwest, you have to adapt to Mother Nature,” said Maryann Pribillo with the Master Gardeners Program.

“I consider myself an intern. I’ve just taken a class and I’ve learned a lot about what grows here,” said Velma Noland, a volunteer at the Master Gardeners booth.

Greeting visitors within a grove of white-blossomed green and purple shamrock plants, volunteers handed out free pamphlets on growing chile, water conservation, nutrition and New Mexico State University Extension Service programs. Other handouts showcased favorite Mesilla Valley home-grown produce, with recipes for treats like “Cheesy Chile Pecan Bread,” “Pecan Pepper Poppers” and “Pecan Cheesecake with Green Chile Marmalade.”

The annual show is a good way for vendors to introduce new products and services to the public, said Gary A. Mook of Sutherlands, whose booth included eclectic items like a compact, expandable hose, a stylish Western handbag and a sampling of live plants the store is again selling, after a brief hiatus.

Visitors strolled though aisles of booths offering everything from compact ponds and swimming pools to roofing, cabinet and bathroom remodeling options, real estate and home mortgage information.

A few nonprofits used the occasion to promote upcoming events. Las Cruces Rodrunners displayed some vintage cars and distributed invitations to their 2013 Wheels of Dreams Car Show March 23 at the Las Cruces Field of Dreams.

Las Cruces Home Garden Show admission is $5 and free for kids 12 and under. For information, visit online at www.lascruceshomeandgarden.com.

S. Derrickson Moore can be reached at (575) 541-5450

If you go

What: 2013 Las Cruces Home and Garden Show

Sponsor: Las Cruces Home Builders Association

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday

Where: Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave.

How much: $5, under 12 free

Info: www.lascruceshomeandgarden.com

Sunday talks:

11 a.m.: Container Gardening

Noon: Harvesting Rainwater for Gardens

1 p.m.: Creating Hummingbird Habitats

2 p.m.: Tree Selections for Southern New Mexico

The economy may have forever changed how people look at luxury.

Trips to resorts and other out-of-town attractions aren’t out of the question, but as seen and heard at this year’s Greater Tulsa Home Garden Show, more people are looking toward home as their vacation destination. From outdoor kitchens to pools and hot tubs, decorative landscaping, kitchen updates and bathroom remodels, “people are investing in their homes,” said Scott Gideon, this year’s show chairman.

The theme of this year’s event is “Find Your Oasis,” and for Gideon, he’ll tell you quickly, his oasis is his backyard.

That oasis is often an expansion of your property’s livable space, past the four walls of the house and into the yard.

“People aren’t traveling like they used to,” said Matt Cobb of Oklahoma Landscape. “They want to create a place where their kids can bring their friends over.”

Cobb said for the family on a budget, or one interested in building on their oasis one feature at a time, starting with an outdoor kitchen may be a good idea.

But “there are so many possibilities,” Cobb said.

Even starting with a focus on your yard is a good place, he said, adding that yard health is Oklahoma Landscape’s big focus this year.

A pretty yard means more curb appeal, no weeds, a safe place for kids and pets, and even a good talking point for the neighbors, Cobb said.

Your oasis can be as simple as a well-kept yard, colorful with a flower garden, resort-inspired with waterfalls and a pool or hot tub, or cookout-friendly with an outdoor kitchen. Your oasis could also be upgrades for your indoor kitchen or a remodel of your home’s bathrooms.

Lawn and garden

Fragrant flowers are among the ideas to consider for your garden. As are native plants that can be just as eye-catching as exotics but can tolerate Oklahoma’s heat and even drought conditions better than non-natives. Gardening with heirloom seeds is another practice that will be popular this growing season. Such seeds haven’t been genetically altered; they’ve been saved from one crop of plants to the next.

Patioscapes

With more people looking to their own homes for a relaxing break, making an investment in developing a patioscape may mean savings down the line. It can take little time and money to turn the backyard into the family vacation destination. Cobb said the possibilities available to people wanting to extend their home’s livable space to the outdoors are many. Water features, pools, outdoor kitchens, fire pits and fireplaces, bars, and lounging areas are among the options – and landscape lighting can give your yard and outdoor living space a dramatic new look.

Kitchen and bathroom upgrades

At this year’s Home Garden Show, there was no shortage of kitchen cabinetry installers to consider. And it’s no wonder: Remodeling kitchen areas, including refacing cabinets, updating countertops and backsplashes, and bringing in high-efficiency and cutting edge appliances, will not only make a homeowner feel like a reality-TV chef while cooking up dinner, but it will also increase the value of the home. Granite countertops in a variety of natural tones make a big splash at the Home Garden Show, but be on the lookout for quartz composite, which requires little maintenance and is highly durable. The bathroom is another money maker, as well as a place to bring in some luxury with new countertops and fixtures and even a new coat of paint for an updated look.

Original Print Headline: Escape to your backyard

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Bravetta Hassell 918-581-8316

bravetta.hassell@tulsaworld.com

Add mint to your edible landscape — don’t fear it, but embrace its varieties and medicinal properties. Here’s a guide to growing mint, plus a mint tea recipe and mint wine recipe.

In “Eat Your Yard! Edible Trees, Shrubs, Vines, Herbs and Flowers for Your Landscape,” author Nan K. Chase shares her first-hand experience with gardening, landscaping ideas and special culinary uses for fruit trees. Recipes for edible garden plants include the crabapple and quince, nut trees, such as the chestnut and almond, and herbs and vines like the bay, grape, lavender, mint, and thyme. She instructs how to harvest pawpaw, persimmon, and other wildflowers for your meal as well as figs, kumquats, olives and other favorites.

Eat Your Yard! (Gibbs Smith, 2010) has information on 35 edible plants that offer the best of both landscape and culinary uses. Edible garden plants provide spring blossoms, colorful fruit and flowers, lush greenery, fall foliage, and beautiful structure, but they also offer fruits, nuts, and seeds that you can eat, cook, and preserve. 

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Eating Mint from Your Garden

Don’t plant mint! It takes over the garden.

That’s an all-too-common reaction, and it’s true that some mint varieties can run wild if given the right soil, mois­ture, and sunlight, but no discipline.

I say hurray for mint.

A pretty, low-growing plant, mint fills in the wet, shady places where nothing else will grow. And while the flowers are generally not flashy, they do add lacy pastel highlights to the summer garden and attract beneficial insects.

Mint’s medicinal properties have been chronicled for centu­ries, and its usefulness in the kitchen is reflected in the fact that cookbooks of ancient Rome contained mint recipes. In houses and temples of those times, mint leaves were strewn over the floors to freshen the air as people walked.

The Spanish name for mint, yerba buena, means the “good herb.” Mint effectively calms the stomach and aids digestion (after-dinner mint, anyone?). It calms nerves, too, and is used in compresses for the relief of skin and joint problems, as well as for headaches and sore eyes.

In my own edible landscape it has taken ten years for a nice little mint patch to get started, and now that it shows signs of robustness (discipline time), I have started using it for cooking and tea, and most spectacularly, for making mint wine.

Peppermint and spearmint. Apple mint and chocolate mint. Curly mint and creeping mint and long-stemmed mint. There are a dozen main mint species and hundreds of hybrids. Sizes range from only a few inches high to some two feet or more.

All these members of the genus Mentha have square stems as a distinguishing characteristic.

They also have a tendency to “run,” so unless you have room for the mint to naturalize, plan early to contain the plants in sunken boxes or pots, or by using lengths of metal or plastic edging to a depth of six or eight inches.

Grow hazelnuts in your own garden, and learn how to use them in your cooking.

In “Eat Your Yard! Edible Trees, Shrubs, Vines, Herbs and Flowers for Your Landscape,” author Nan K. Chase shares her first-hand experience with gardening, landscaping ideas and special culinary uses for fruit trees. Recipes for edible garden plants include the crabapple and quince, nut trees, such as the chestnut and almond, and herbs and vines like the bay, grape, lavender, mint, and thyme. She instructs how to harvest pawpaw, persimmon, and other wildflowers for your meal as well as figs, kumquats, olives and other favorites. 

Eat Your Yard! (Gibbs Smith, 2010) has information on 35 edible plants that offer the best of both landscape and culinary uses. Edible garden plants provide spring blossoms, colorful fruit and flowers, lush greenery, fall foliage, and beautiful structure, but they also offer fruits, nuts, and seeds that you can eat, cook, and preserve. 

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Eating Hazelnuts

Crack! The sound of a ripe hazelnut being broken open before Thanksgiving dinner is unmistakable. So is the ruddy color of the hard little shell. Hazelnut flavor: that’s unmistakable too, sweet and earthy, with a little crunch.

Hazelnut, filbert. They’re interchangeable as far as the nut industry is concerned and, botanically speaking, quite close.

The important thing is that the filbert, or hazelnut, grows as a beautiful shrub or small tree with year-round interest. Pendu­lous catkins—the blooms—hang like golden chains from the bare branches in late winter. During summer the rounded, many-pleated leaves provide islands of shade as the nuts develop. In fall the leaves glow red and gold.

Some filberts have special landscape value on their own—the contorted filbert, or Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick, for instance—and are grown as specimen trees. Others are chosen for screening; filberts rarely grow taller than twenty feet, and some stay much smaller. Because filberts need cross-pollination with other varieties, it’s imperative to mix and match anyway.

There are two ways to grow filberts: as individual trees with single, or at most a few, trunks; and as a hedge of medium height. Imagine a garden plant with such versatility.

The natural growing habit features “suckering,” or the tendency for the plant to throw up many extra shoots around the main trunk. That’s perfect for a hedge configuration; space the plants just four feet apart and let the suckers fill in the spaces. For more intense nut production as well as for ornamental treatment, situate the plants about fifteen feet apart and keep suckers off. Hazelnut trees may need to be netted once nut production begins; squirrels love them.

Architect Alex Pesta explains the reasoning behind Fairview Park’s Master Plan.
BETH MLADY/SPECIAL TO SUN NEWS

 

FAIRVIEW PARK After several months of collaboration, city officials revealed the city’s updated Master Plan at a public meeting March 4.

It is the third edition of the plan, which was first developed in 1999 and updated in 2005. A Master Plan Steering Committee — comprised of 19 residents that Jim Kennedy, director of service and development, told the audience came “from every walk of life” — studied the city’s appearance and public perception to come up with the current edition.

It will be “the little things,” maintained architect Alex Pesta, that will help transform Fairview as people travel through the community. His company assisted the city with the Master Plan through a grant obtained from the Cuyahoga County Department of Development.

“You want to build an identity, a sense of place,” Pesta said. “It’s the little moments that can redefine the experience (for people coming into the city). Fairview is a very walkable community, and we need to do things to make it feel like a walkable community.”

Inexpensive ways to do that, he explained, include “implementable initiatives” such as specially constructed crosswalks, articulated paving and brickwork, benches, aesthetically pleasing trash cans, bike racks, shared bike lanes, and coordinated signage to create a unified, pedestrian-friendly look.

One example he gave was as simple as landscaping the concrete island at the intersection of Mastick Road and West 210th Street. Gateways at the northern, southern, eastern and western borders of Fairview can all create a pleasing public perception, he said.

Pesta also recommended improving the visibility of the Gemini Center as viewed from Lorain Road. Because the center was recognized as one of the city’s greatest assets in a public survey conducted last year, Pesta said the facility needs to exhibit the “civic command” it deserves. That can be done with landscaping improvements and changes to the look of the parking lot entrance at Lorain Road.

An audience member asked about a timeline for implementing the Master Plan initiatives. Kennedy described the document as “a blueprint of future activity” — but one, unfortunately, that requires funding to bring those ideas to fruition.

“A lot of this stuff is a money issue,” Kennedy said. “A lot of what will be used in the way of finances will probably come from outside sources (i.e., grants), and we have plans for that going forward. A lot of the priorities will be dictated by funding. It takes time and money and effort to do that.”

He added that small initiatives are already under way at the western gateway, where North Olmsted ends and Fairview begins. That city border was noted in the survey as the one most in need of attention. Pesta stressed that the number of vacant commercial storefronts is not as high as the public tends to believe, and Mayor Eileen Patton mentioned how a marketing campaign could soon emerge.

“One thing we’ve discovered as we’ve done an inventory is that within a small walking distance of three blocks, there are so many stores in that area that market to getting married (a dress shop, jewelry store, bakery, floral shop, etc.),” Patton said as a means of conveying one possible shopping theme. “This can be the beginning of our marketing campaign that we’re trying to create in Fairview Park. We would love to start implementing these (ideas), but everything costs money.”

Funding issues aside, the mayor expressed her enthusiasm for what lies ahead.

“This has been a fun process,” Patton said. “It’s been pretty exciting.”

For more information about the Master Plan, go to fairviewpark.org.

See more Fairview Park news at cleveland.com/fairview-park.

Mlady is a freelancer from Parma. Contact her at mladywrites@yahoo.com.

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The 41st annual Home and Garden show opens its doors at noon today at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.

The show put on by the North Idaho Building Contractors Association is all about how to improve living space, both indoor and outdoor. It features project ideas ranging from landscaping and masonry to bathroom remodels and home design.

Larry Taylor of Taylor Made Landscaping in Rathdrum oversaw the construction of the show’s featured display, an exhibit filling the space of four booths.

It was half complete by late morning Thursday and already featured a running fountain, three young trees and patio paving, giving the effects of standing in someone’s backyard.

Taylor said building the display had so far taken three days with more work to go. He said the display cost about $7,000, but it is worth the price.

“The NIBCA, I feel, has given us a really good opportunity for some exposure,” Taylor said. “I think it’s good for the community. This is a good show. There are a lot of quality vendors here, besides myself. I just think this is a neat deal.”

Area professionals are presenting goods and services to assist homeowners, potential homeowners and weekend warriors in creating and maintaining their dream homes.

The show is being held in the Jacklin Building, rather than splitting into multiple buildings as in previous years.

“The biggest thing is our change of venue this year,” said Lisa Gwaltney, Home and Garden chair for the NIBCA, as she checked participants in Thursday. “We decided to get everybody under one roof this year because the fair put in heat, upgraded all the lighting and put in electric for us.”

Gwaltney has been affiliated with the Home and Garden Show for about eight years. She said the Home and Garden Committee has been working to organize the show, the main fundraiser for the NICBCA, since about November.

Between 2,000 and 4,000 people usually attend the show, and committee members are hoping to see at least that many people again this year.

Kris Owens, administrative manager for the NICBCA, walked the premises as vendors set up their displays. She kept a watchful eye to ensure that everyone had filed their paperwork, and, more importantly, that everyone was happy.

Owens said she is looking forward to “a great attendance, helping the exhibitors promote their businesses, and just having a nice show.”

The new building is a positive change because, according to Owens, the buildings where the show was previously housed would sometimes leak and “it was hard for people to kind of weave their way through,” she said. “We’re hoping that this will flow really nice.”

The show will be introducing some new food vendors, as well. Owens said the “Taste of Spring” portion of the show will help create a comfortable atmosphere for people to munch, mingle and stay a while.

Taylor said the show is a good opportunity even for competitors to check out what other businesses are doing.

Taylor Made Landscaping and Mutual Materials are sponsoring a scavenger hunt where one lucky winner will receive a “Home Spruce-Up Package” valued at $2,250.

Taylor is also raffling off three subalpine fir trees, including installation, and donating all proceeds to the Panhandle Autism Society.

An abundance of vendors, displays, booths and inspiration will be present at the Home and Garden Show this weekend. It is open until 6 tonight.

The show is sponsored by Frontier Communications.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5.

The talking points for this year’s Everett Home Garden Show are engagement and entertainment.

The Everett Home Garden Show is Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Comcast Arena.

Home show producer Jim Ashe really wants to go beyond the myriad booths and speakers that are standard fare at these types of events.

He wants visitors to be engaged and entertained.

To help do that, there’s a wine-tasting event Friday to kick off the show. Visitors will experience two showcase interactive exhibits that will give them landscaping ideas.

Throw in free parking and a daylight-saving time special (we spring forward Sunday) and this home show may have it all.

“What we are trying to do is engage the public,” Ashe said.

One of the biggest interactive exhibits this year is presented by Whispering Pines Custom Landscapes of Everett who have put together a 30- by 40-foot display that includes water features, stunning original artwork and hand-built rustic furniture.

With this exhibit, Ashe said, the home show gives visitors a large scale experience while also offering smaller, individual ideas that any homeowner can take on.

“There will be one or two people who will walk through and have the money to say, ‘I’ll buy it,’ but for you and me, we’ll walk through and we might see a nice little water feature and say, ‘That is something I can manage,'” Ashe said.

Another entertaining and engaging exhibit will be the one put on by the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals, who will have a terrific display set up on the concourse level, the area that circles the main arena.

WALP has had exhibits in the past where people have just stopped in their tracks and said, “Wow,” Ashe said.

In addition to booths and exhibits, the home show has a list of engaging speakers including Bob Barca, who has a garden in Freeland where he brings in plants from all over the world to see how they’ll grow.

“He’s into all kinds of exotic stuff,” Ashe said.

Barca will be speaking on “March Garden Activities,” “Growing Berries in the Northwest” and “Hummingbird Butterfly Sanctuaries.”

Also speaking is Dave Pehling from the Washington State University Extension office who will talk about “The Dilemmas of Mole Vole Management in the Garden.”

The WSU extension office also puts on a garden flower clinic every year where master gardeners will answer questions.

Also this year, the WSU extension will offer a rain garden clinic, Ashe said.

Another speaker is Erick Teegarden of Northwest Wind and Solar. Ashe said Teegarden knows his stuff about renewable energy and will talk on “The Many Benefits of Renewable Energy.”

Ashe said there’s not too much in the way of kids’ activities as the spring home show focuses more on the homeowners; there are more kid-friendly offerings at the fall show.

There will, however, be face-painting Saturday and Sunday.

New this year is free parking Saturday and Sunday at the Snohomish County garage.

And Sunday, that daylight-saving time special means visitors who arrive at Comcast between 10 and 11 a.m. will get in free. Of course, you’ll have to remember to set your clocks ahead an hour.

Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com

11th Annual Everett Home Garden Show

When: Noon to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Where: Comcast Everett Events Center, 2000 Hewitt Ave., Everett.

Admission: $6.25 to $6.75 Free for youths 16 and under.

For more information go to www.everetthomegardenshow.com/

As I mentioned recently, my daughter sent me a photo of some shrubs planted outside her local Starbucks. Starbucks seems to take landscaping cues from gas stations. Sometimes I think they take product ideas from gas stations, too, though Starbucks then jacks the price way up. I’ve never quite understood why someone will complain about the price of gas to drive to work, then on the way stop off at a Starbucks and pay four or five times more per unit for a cup of coffee that they could have brought from home for a few pennies. They could even put it in a Starbucks cup from KMart if it makes them feel better.

The small shrub was fothergilla, and I applaud Starbucks for using something other than yews or forsythia. Don’t get me started on forsythia. In April my entire town turns bright yellow. Fothergilla is more dignified, a small native with thumbnail sized white puff flowers with the unmistakable scent of honey. It is about as interesting as forsythia during the summer, which means not at all, but the big show comes in fall. Fothergilla has the brightest colors October has to offer, with leaves flaming in red and orange and yellow.

A few years go all the magazines were agog over a new cultivar, quoting the press releases about its blue summer leaves. I don’t write from press releases. I went out and bought one. It was a big disappointment. It was “blue” only if you had been smoking something (I assume), and the fall color, the reason you plant fothergilla, was unimpressive.

Another disappointment about the same time was the hardy hibiscus Kopper King. Tell me a plant has giant pink flowers against wine red leaves and I grab for my wallet. I do that even knowing that “red” is the second most misused word in horticulture outside of “easy.” The plant’s leaves were neither red nor kopper. They were a smudged green.

When they came up with an “improved” red leaf, pink flowered variety, whose name lies buried outside under the mulch, I was like Charlie Brown and the football. Bought it, grew it, was disappointed again, though admittedly the leaves were a tad more smudged.

Last year Proven Winners came out with yet another red leafed, pink flowered hibiscus, and I took another swipe at the football. Called Summer Storm, this one shows promise. The leaves are maple-like and deep … maybe a bit more purple than red, but that’s fine. Maybe my quest is over.

There are two kinds of hardy hibiscus, and both flower in late summer, long after we have forgotten the flowering shrubs of spring.. Those with the huge flowers, sometimes a foot across, are in the Hibiscus moscheutos family, though some of the hybrids have been dallying with cousins. The other is the smaller flowered Rose of Sharon, which you remember from Grandma’s side yard. But they’ve had some work done since Grandma’s day. (So has Grandma.)