Latest Episodes for this Channel
Fri August 22 2008
Mother always said that paint could work miracles on an interior. What she didn't know is how successful paint can be in the garden. If you doubt ...
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Mother always said that paint could work miracles on an interior. What she didn't know is how successful paint can be in the garden. If you doubt this, travel anywhere in Mexico. Somehow the Mexicans know how to use vivid color to turn an ordinary concrete-block house into a celebration of color. Perhaps during hard times we, too, will discover why paint is so important it's cheap. Nothing c... read more
Mother always said that paint could work miracles on an interior. What she didn't know is how successful paint can be in the garden. If you doubt this, travel anywhere in Mexico. Somehow the Mexicans know how to use vivid color to turn an ordinary concrete-block house into a celebration of color. Perhaps during hard times we, too, will discover why paint is so important it's cheap. Nothing can change the character of an outdoor space quite as effectively. With gas prices keeping us grounded and the economy stifling every urge to move up in real estate, it's time to start working more efficiently with what we have. That means rethinking your yard, since you may be spending a lot more time there now that everything costs more. The problem is that we Americans have descended from New Englanders who painted with a uniform style. But if you've ever driven through a monochrome neighborhood into one with color, you know how important it is to creating an individual sense of place. Whether it's a hot festive look you're after or a feminine pastel haven, the key is not just the colors you choose, but knowing how great plants look against that color. Green is never really green to your eye unless it's played against a range of red hues from rose to carmine and even orange. Never underestimate the power of blue as a background not the soft sky-blue we lean toward, but rich royal blue or ultramarine. Against these blues the flower colors pop out at you, lending a greater sense of three-dimensionality. Truth be told, we don't all have fabulous homes. In fact, the vast majority of American homes are average postwar tract models. Nobody wants to be stuck in suburbia forever, but if we create a fantasy environment in the backyard, maybe you won't feel like such a suburbanite. Maybe you'll feel more tropical or perhaps you prefer a warm Italian courtyard, Moroccan terrace or the bound garden of a small home in the English countryside. The long days of summer are the perfect time to play with paint. Get out your inner child and do some studies on that oppressive two-story wall, ugly board fence or barren back of your garage. There's even paint for ugly concrete slabs. A paint study is how architects determine what color to choose by painting big sample squares of color on the side of a building. There they can see it in large scale under sunlight all day long. This is safer than painting a building from a store chip that may look wholly different in the open air. When choosing paint, know that it is forgiving. If you don't like it, you can repaint in a different color. Sure it's more work, but it's affordable, so don't worry about it. Surrender to color and forget what people or magazines tell you. Chances are, your instincts for what you like are better than someone else's, even a designer's. Consider these five factors that can turn your color project into something amazing. n Do not feel you must paint the whole yard one color. n Pick two or three hues that work together and use these to create diversity. n Experiment with faux effects to change the color and texture. n Some paints may fade with time on sun-drenched walls. n Use architectural plants against the wall for a striking effect. Color is one of the best ways to liven up an ordinary yard when you're on a budget. A gallon of paint and a roller is your low-cost recipe for a high-impact yard. Maureen Gilmer is a horticulturist and former host of "Weekend Gardening" on DIY Network. Her blog, the MoZone, offers a groundbreaking series of great ideas for cash-strapped families to live more richly on less. Read the blog at http://www.MoPlants.com/blog . E-mail her at mogilmer@yahoo.com . Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.
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Fri August 22 2008
Seeking comfort, safety and security. Must be warm and cozy. First impressions are important. It might sound like a personal ad, but it's actu...
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Seeking comfort, safety and security. Must be warm and cozy. First impressions are important. It might sound like a personal ad, but it's actually what a majority of buyers say they look for when house hunting. A bigger home is not always better, according to a survey by Coldwell Banker, which asked consumers what influences their buying decisions. A combined 67 percent of respondents ... read more
Seeking comfort, safety and security. Must be warm and cozy. First impressions are important. It might sound like a personal ad, but it's actually what a majority of buyers say they look for when house hunting. A bigger home is not always better, according to a survey by Coldwell Banker, which asked consumers what influences their buying decisions. A combined 67 percent of respondents favored those various characteristics. When economic times get tough, homebuyers crave security. They are more apt to choose comfortable, cozy and warm homes over airy spaces and lofty views, said Ruth Peters, a clinical psychologist in Clearwater, Fla. "Lofty views don't keep people together," Peters said. A kitchen with an island and bar stools where people can sit and talk is more apt to make people comfortable and secure, she said. Today's buyers don't necessarily need granite tops and new stainless steel appliances that people were demanding three years ago, said Temple Schneider, a Realtor with Millennium One Realty in Camarillo. It's partly because the market is dominated by short sales and foreclosures, and most of the homes on the market are not as nice as they were a few years ago, she said. "It seems like buyers' attitudes are falling into alignment with what's available," Schneider said. Sean Dowey of Ventura and his girlfriend have been looking to buy since June. He said they've kept their requirements loose, with a short list of must-haves at least three bedrooms, a backyard for their dogs and a safe neighborhood. "The way the market is right now, you can't be too picky," Dowey said. There's plenty of inventory right now, Dowey said, but there's also a lot of competition. He's made offers on several short sales, in which a lender is willing to accept less money than what is owed on a house, but none has been accepted. While just a few years ago, some buyers were eager to get as much house as they could afford, now they have grown more cautious. Many buyers are more willing to trade square footage and fancy upgrades for a lower, more comfortable mortgage. "People are beginning to realize what's important," Peters said. "In this topsy-turvy, everything-going-so-quickly, divorce-laden world, we want our home to not necessarily be a castle, but we want it to be a safe, secure and comfortable refuge." While emotions play a bigger part of the house-hunting process than most people realize, buyers have to temper it with other factors, such as school zones, commute times and number of bedrooms, Peters said. Coldwell Banker's informal quiz, which can be taken on the company's Web site or the social networking site Facebook, has generated more than 3,700 responses and is a fun way to get people to think about what they want in their dream house, Peters said. It attempts to answer "what's your house sign" by posing seven questions that might seem a little random. For example, one question is: "Which dance scene would you most likely be found in?" It then shows images from several movies, including "Cinderella," "Bring It On," "Grease" and "Risky Business." Other questions ask respondents to select their favorite type of view from their home, the type of artwork that would be hanging in their living room, and the kind of party they'd host. Coldwell Banker also conducted a more formal survey based on consumer attitude about homebuying. Twelve percent of the approximately 1,000 respondents said they knew their house was "the one" even before stepping inside. After one visit, that figure rose to 51 percent, according to the survey, which was conducted by International Communications Research, an independent firm. Fifty-eight percent of those polled agreed their home is a place to shelter and nurture their families. Most also said they felt the home's quality was more important than square footage, and the "feel" of a home was as important as its price. "The whole goal of the survey is to help people have an idea of what kind of home they should be looking for," said David Siroty, a Coldwell Banker spokesman. "When you think of the inventory of available homes is higher, people have more to choose from. It's supposed to be a fun, talked-about application, but it's not the be-all or end-all." On the Net: http://www.coldwellbanker.com/home/learn/housetrology/housetrology_landing.jsp
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Tue August 05 2008
SAN JOSE — Bryan Powell turned to the Internet two years ago in search of ideas for a built-in barbecue, bar and slate tile patio that he wan...
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SAN JOSE — Bryan Powell turned to the Internet two years ago in search of ideas for a built-in barbecue, bar and slate tile patio that he wanted to construct in his backyard in Castro Valley. Instead of finding ideas to inspire his project, he found frustration. "There was not one single place on the Internet where I could go to view pictures of people's yards and projects," Powell sa... read more
SAN JOSE — Bryan Powell turned to the Internet two years ago in search of ideas for a built-in barbecue, bar and slate tile patio that he wanted to construct in his backyard in Castro Valley. Instead of finding ideas to inspire his project, he found frustration. "There was not one single place on the Internet where I could go to view pictures of people's yards and projects," Powell said. So he created one. The site, http://www.yardshare.com , launched in February and has some 130 user-submitted yard and garden projects featuring more than 3,000 photos. Powell says the site attracts 75 to 100 visitors a day. Powell, 29, works by day as a client relationship manager at a finance company in San Francisco. Before creating YardShare, he had no experience building a Web site. So he taught himself. "I bought a book and some software," Powell said. It took him seven months of working 18-hour days — combined with his "real" job — to get the site to the point where it was ready to be launched to the public. Powell designed the site to be a place where homeowners can share pictures, stories, advice and information in an interactive way. Most of the projects posted online are from homeowners who have done the work themselves, but some have had professional help for part or all of the job. Powell also invites landscape professionals to post photos of their work; San Anselmo's Avant Garden has put up several. Projects on the site are clustered by type: large and small yards, front and back gardens, hardscape, lighting, pools, patios, water features, etc. Call up the outdoor kitchen section, for example, and you can see 87 photos that chronicle the step-by-step progress of Mike and Leslie's kitchen — it's not done yet — that includes a cooler, sink, four-burner propane grill, stainless steel open-air wood grill and bar seating for six. Visitors to the site may view the projects as slide shows or look at individual photos as thumbnails. They also can ask questions and post comments. Those wishing to add photos of their own projects must go through a simple registration process. "Some people just go in and post a few pictures of a completed project, but others treat it as an ongoing portfolio so they can show family and friends how their project is coming along," Powell said. Weekend warriors, he said, post a rush of new photos each Monday. What about his own backyard project? It's chronicled on the Web site. — Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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Sat August 02 2008
Many gardeners believe that if you don't plant flowers and vegetables by June or July, planting season is over. That's not the case, say experts at ...
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Many gardeners believe that if you don't plant flowers and vegetables by June or July, planting season is over. That's not the case, say experts at Agromin, a Camarillo-based manufacturer of premium soil products. Many summer flowers and vegetables can be planted in August. Plant summer annuals: Plant summer annuals including cosmos, zinnias and marigolds from transplants for quick color. So... read more
Many gardeners believe that if you don't plant flowers and vegetables by June or July, planting season is over. That's not the case, say experts at Agromin, a Camarillo-based manufacturer of premium soil products. Many summer flowers and vegetables can be planted in August. Plant summer annuals: Plant summer annuals including cosmos, zinnias and marigolds from transplants for quick color. Sow seeds for cool-season annuals including calendula, pansies and snapdragon at the end of August to avoid late summer heat. Plant herbs and warm-season vegetables: An assortment of herbs can be planted in August and still provide a hearty harvest. Plant basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme and mint from transplants. The plants will thrive through fall. Beans, beets, carrots, celery, corn, cucumber, spinach and squash can all be planted now. Cool-season crops such as broccoli and cabbage can be planted at the end of August. Harvest your vegetables: Your summer vegetables are ripening almost daily. Zucchini, squash and cucumber seem to grow overnight. Pick ripened vegetables frequently, whether you use them or not. This will encourage the plants to continue to produce for the rest of summer and into fall. Mow weekly: Lawns grow quickly during the summer months. Grass blades should be at least an inch long to protect the soil from heat, to help protect against water evaporation and to stimulate deeper root growth. Houseplant maintenance: Clear out dead foliage and water regularly, especially if plants are in direct sunlight. During summer growing months, plants may outgrow their containers. If a plant begins looking weak or its growth slows, it may need repotting. Gently remove the plant from the pot and examine the root system. If all you see is a mass of roots without soil, the plant needs repotting to a larger pot. — For more planting and gardening tips, go to http://www.agromin.com .
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Thu July 31 2008
All through the southern part of the nation folks are asking, "What's happening to the oleanders?" These big, drought-resistant shrubs with the fa...
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All through the southern part of the nation folks are asking, "What's happening to the oleanders?" These big, drought-resistant shrubs with the fabulous blooms and milky white sap are dying a slow, agonizing death. The first signs are subtle — a yellow leaf here, a barren branch there. They appear on one plant in a hedge, then gradually others in the stand show it, too. The oleander i... read more
All through the southern part of the nation folks are asking, "What's happening to the oleanders?" These big, drought-resistant shrubs with the fabulous blooms and milky white sap are dying a slow, agonizing death. The first signs are subtle — a yellow leaf here, a barren branch there. They appear on one plant in a hedge, then gradually others in the stand show it, too. The oleander is going the way of the American elm and the chestnut tree, gradually dying out. The species, Nerium oleander, is used for hedges, screens, windbreaks, background and color. The plants are the mainstay of freeway medians and verges, where their diehard attitude assured public works that broken sprinklers and periodic drought wouldn't phase them. But like so many great and strong things in this world that are brought down by microscopic enemies, the oleander will soon be a plant of the past in the Southern states and California. The culprit is oleander leaf scorch, caused by a bacterium known as Xylella fastidiosa. This pathogen affects the water-conducting tissues of a plant known as the xylem. When it enters the oleander it travels through the xylem, multiplying at a prodigious rate. Soon the xylem is clogged with bacteria, allowing little or no water to travel from roots to leaves. Denied moisture, new leaves grow smaller than normal and are held more sparsely. When the tubes are clogged solid, the whole branch dies. It takes from two to five years. This bacteria first appeared in Southern California in 1990 and quickly spread into the Southern states where oleanders are prevalent. No one knows where the bacterium came from. One strain of Xylella fastidiosa has been in the grape industry for decades, but will not affect oleanders. A new strain is the one doing the damage. The major vector is the glassy-winged sharpshooter, well-known to grape growers because it spreads Pierce's disease among grapevines in just the same way. Areas outside the range of these insects may never suffer infected oleanders. Sharpshooters are sucking insects that penetrate the xylem to siphon out the juices. When the sharpshooter feeds on a diseased oleander, it ingests the bacteria, which multiply in its mouth. This is then introduced into the xylem cells of the next plant it attacks. The only hope is to remove the infected plant immediately, then watch to see if disease has spread. There is no known cure for oleander leaf scorch. Wiping out sharpshooters is unrealistic and not environmentally sound. Despite this dim future, some retailers continue to sell these plants to customers unaware of the threat. Once the shrub shows visible signs of the disease, the bacteria is already spread throughout its system. The only good news is that some individual plants and some varieties may be showing a degree of resistance and could survive. If they do show resistance over decades, then there is a chance the oleander may have a future in American gardens. — Maureen Gilmer is a horticulturist and former host of "Weekend Gardening" on DIY Network. Read her blog, the MoZone, at http://www.moplants.com/blog . E-mail her at mogilmer@yahoo.com .
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