June Landscaping Tips Butterflies And Gardens Special To The Online Edition

Celebrate summer by welcoming butterflies into your garden. are different from many other “theme” gardens. To be successful, the garden not only needs to have a that works with the surrounding home and landscape, but it needs to perform a very specific task. Attracting butterflies may seem fairly straightforward, but you cannot assume all butterflies are attracted to all flowers.

Butterflies are beautiful, somewhat ethereal creatures whose and graceful add a sense of wonder to any garden planting

Butterflies have plant preferences: There are literally thousands of , and each species tends to have a of plants as source. When selecting for a , it is also important to remember that a butterfly goes through four life cycles, with one set of for the larval stage and another type of food once the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis.

The for butterflies include , perennials, wildflowers, , shrubs and trees. and tender known to attract many include zinnias, white alyssum, marigolds, lantana, cosmos, nicotiana, petunias, ageratum, fuchsia, snapdragons and sunflowers. Herbs and wildflowers that attract butterflies include chives and other alliums, , spearmint, Anaphalis, , Verbena, dandelions, clover, Queen Anne’s Lace, , goldenrod and thistle.

for include daisies, Phlox, Aster, Liatris, Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Eupatorium, Achillea, Aubretia, , Echinops, Limonium, Sedum, Phystostegia, Scabiosa, Coreopsis, Hemerocallis, Heuchera, Lilium, Lythrum, Lavandula, Myosotis and Penstemon. Shrubs, vines and trees for include Abelia, Aesculus, Aruncus, , Clethra, Crataegus, , Lonicera, Malus, Prunus, Ribes, Salix, Spirea, Syringa, Vaccinium and Wisteria.

Design help: If a is to be created as part of an older, established , look for a site that offers shelter—an overgrown fence, a clump of trees, the base of a sloping lot, or a rocky outcropping with a flat, grassy spot nearby. and several hours of sun would complete the picture—minus only the butterfly-attracting .

Call it serendipity, but the preferred style of planting for design purposes—starting with low edging and gradually working up, level by level, to the tallest —is also one of the best arrangements for a . This is not only because it makes it easier for the butterflies to identify their favorite nectar-producing when they are clearly visible, but the taller offer shelter from both wind and predators.

The popular concept of a mixed border, combining , , , roses, , vines and ornamental trees, all underplanted with bulbs, will provide a long bloom season as well as a variety of food sources and forms of shelter that will attract a large assortment of butterflies over a long period.

Other design guidelines: Although some theme gardens need meticulous care and a neat, sometimes formal appearance to create the intended ambience, butterflies like their to be a little messy. Rocky paths muddied by a sprinkler or parts of the garden where water pools on flat rocks will attract many like a luxury spa attracts movie stars. Research indicates that minerals released through the water’s evaporation process, primarily sodium, may play a vital part in the mating habits of butterflies. For this reason, some experts recommend putting small salt licks in a .

Areas in or around the garden where grass is allowed to grow long can act as a shelter and, for some species, a place to lay their eggs. If you can live with a section of your garden that is somewhat overgrown with , wildflowers, trees and , you will probably find more butterflies in this little wilderness than among carefully tended flower beds

Like , there are woodland butterfly species and those that prefer a sunny spot. Even sun-loving butterflies will appreciate the presence of a shaded shelter.

Butterflies have a powerful sense of smell. Much like dogs, the scents that they find attractive aren’t always scents the human population likes to encourage. Rotting fruits and are gourmet treats for some butterflies, while others are drawn to the more pleasant aromas of clover or wild violets.

Pesticides and herbicides should be avoided, whenever possible, because in almost every stage of life butterflies are extremely vulnerable to such toxins.

Some butterflies stay around for winter: Not many butterflies overwinter in the extreme climates of the Midwest, but those that do ( sometimes called “hibernators” ) will also benefit from winter shelter—mounds of ivy growing over old tree stumps, piles of logs or large, dead tree branches, a stack of old bricks or chunks of concrete.

Some butterflies will hibernate in old trees, while others will welcome the presence of specially designed “butterfly houses” as winter shelter. Winter or summer, butterflies need protection from the wind and a place where the sun will be reflected, somewhere safe from predators—including the trampling feet of children.

Types of butterflies: Monarch butterflies are usually a common sight in Illinois. Other likely candidates include Cabbage White butterflies, Clouded Sulphur, Orange Sulphur, Eastern-Tailed Blue, Meadow Fritillary, Pearl Crescent, Viceroy, Great Spangled Fritillary, Summer Azure, Question Mark, Least Skipper, European Skipper, and the Dion Skipper.

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Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

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Day In The Mud Makes One Long For The Great Indoors

It’s hard to believe, but there was a when one season after another passed away without my paying much notice. At that point in my life — about 15 years ago — I was fairly career-oriented. I spent much of my time chained to my desk in one or another.

When I finally left work, I’d be exhausted. I’d go to my apartment, plop down in front of the TV and drowse off within an hour or two. If I was feeling particularly energetic, I might read a book, have friends over or go to a movie.

I seldom spent much time outside, so the seasons didn’t seem very relevant.

Buying a home in a changed all of that. Staying inside all of the ’t work when you have landscaping to attend. (I know. I tried it the summer I was pregnant. I’m still trying to kill off some off the monster that flourished that year.)

For a after my daughter arrived, the seasons were once again irrelevant. Pretty much anything that didn’t concern caring for my newborn and trying to get some sleep was irrelevant. Rain, snow, flood, drought — I didn’t care. So long as I had plenty of on hand, I was oblivious to the world around me.

As the baby grew into a child, though, that all changed again. Small children are fascinated by all the that mark the year’s , and the interest is contagious.

Besides, the outside our house was really looking nasty. I had to get out there and try to restore some order to our .

So as my daughter got older, we started spending more and more time outside. The small by my the kitchen door evolved into an all-consuming gardening addiction. We grew herbs and , so I had to learn how to transform them into something good to eat.

The more I learned, the more I wanted to experiment. My plantings grew increasingly diverse, and I became increasingly sensitive to nature’s .

Then my daughter started school, and the seasons took on entirely new meanings. We have the school calendar to contend with, for starters. And grade-schoolers pay a lot of attention to the calendar. Every holiday, no matter how minor, must be studied and suitably celebrated.

Even though we’ve avoided over-scheduling our daughter, her extracurricular activities fill an ever-growing space on our calendar. We fit our lives in around soccer and ice skating; the county fair and Camp Rah-Rah.

At this point in my life, it sometimes seems as though each individual day is itself a season. It’s both fascinating and merciless, because I’m increasingly aware of how quickly each one slips away; how easily “the right time” becomes “too late.”

Sometimes it bothers me when I think of all of the seasons I missed when I was younger. But in a way, that was all part of a season, too: a season of me. That part of my life shaped who I am today as much as any other time.

I’ve been contemplating those indoor years a lot lately, because at several points in the last week, I’ve longed for their return.

There’s something about spending the final hours of daylight on a chilly Mother’s Day in the rain, shoveling mud in a desperate effort to keep a stone wall from collapsing onto the air-conditioning unit, that really makes a girl wish she’d never stepped out of a nice warm house.

It didn’t help that I had no one but myself to blame for that particular home emergency. I’d rigged a temporary drainage system for a broken downspout, and it couldn’t handle the weekend’s heavy rains.

Of course, it’s spring. It rains a lot in spring, and that water has to go somewhere. It follows the path of least resistance, not the path of best intentions.

I know these things, but I thought I could get away with a temporary fix until I had a chance to pick up some corrugated pipe. I didn’t want to make a special trip to a hardware store because we’re trying to conserve that liquid gold they’re putting in the gas pumps lately.

I ended up making that special trip first thing Monday morning. In the process of fixing the problem, I was late to work, my husband slipped and hurt his shoulder and I made sincere use of a rude word I’d never actually spoken before.

I couldn’t help but think that there was a point in my life when I went entire years without ever touching mud, much less being plastered with it. Sure, I didn’t know the difference between an annual and a perennial, but I enjoyed myself — and kept my hands clean.

I resolved, therefore, to make the repair, go to the office and get done what work was absolutely essential. I’d come home early that night, plop down in front of the TV and drowse off within an hour or two.

It was a lovely plan — just thinking of it made me feel better.

The day didn’t work out that way, of course. I had muddy laundry to wash, some cleaning to get done and a 7-year-old daughter who wanted to play. I also had to go outside and make sure the new drain was working. (It seems to be doing fine.)

I did get to sit down on the couch for a while, but we turned off the TV and played a few games of “Sorry!” We had a great time.

I still owe myself that drowsy evening in front of the TV, mind you. My eyelids get heavy just thinking about it. I will be gloriously lazy.

It’s already pretty late tonight, though, so maybe I’ll get around to it tomorrow. Or one night next week. July, possibly? I’m sure I can fit it in eventually .

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Monday, May 19th, 2008

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Garden Tours Provide Opportunity To See New Ideas

Meet with landscape designers at 10 private gardens and landscapes they designed and installed from to San Rafael, Terra Linda and Novato. These gorgeous, well-established gardens may feature a , pond, waterfall or beehive.

Whether your garden has shaded or sunny areas you will get great ideas for successful . are diverse, but all are pesticide-free.

Gardens may feature a creek with stabilization project, steep terraced hillsides with oaks, redwood and fern bordered rock creeks, succulents and ornamental grasses, fruit trees, lawns, and medicinal plants or flat . Some are Asian or English garden-influenced with a California twist. See ways to better use rain and irrigation water on your property.

Learn how the right and planting can reduce fire danger around your home. Garden includes natives and other Mediterranean summer- .

Discounts to visitors are offered on landscaping services. Refreshments provided and free and other are available at each site to answer questions.

Marin’s Eco-Friendly Garden Tour Sat., May 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Featured designers include PlannedLand, Jeannine White; Edger Landscape Design; EcoScapes, Leslie Patton; Quinn’s ; Blume &; Dean ; Equinox ; California ; EcoLogic , Leith Carstarphen; Reilly Designs and Art Gardens Company.

Registration required, directions provided at time of registration: Call Gina Purin of MCSTOPPP at 499-3202. Cost: $15 per adult.

Support Community Gardens with City Council

The cost of fresh fruit and is going through the roof. Many children have lost their connection to the earth and its seasons. Seniors have become increasingly isolated. People from all have little or no access to garden space, whether apartment renters or folks who own condos, townhomes or McMansions. Community gardens bring people together, provide opportunities for socialization and education on healthy gardening and eating.

Please contact the Novato City Council and let them know you support community gardens. The Garden Committee has identified two good potential locations. Novato covers a large geographic area and one garden would be a great start, whichever location they choose.

For little cost to the city, it will bring great benefit to Novato residents. Individuals including seniors and families with children will be able to experience the pleasure of gardening, the health benefits of garden exercise and fresh, pesticide-free food.

The Novato Community Garden Committee has been working with the city and other groups to find a permanent location. They received grant funding through the Kaiser Foundation and Supervisor Judy Arnold that will help the gardens get off the ground. Ongoing funding for insurance and water management will be provided by nominal annual garden plot rental fees.

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Thursday, May 15th, 2008

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Haeg: Cut The Grass, Plant An ‘edible Estate’

To children of suburbia, the lawn is perhaps our first hands-on experience of nature.

It’s the green expanse we, as kids, tended, perhaps for a bit of extra allowance, by weeding or mowing. And yet, like so much landscaping, its form is hardly natural, being shaped by American , real estate imperatives, and herbicides.

To rethink this front-of-the-house space as the home of more life brushes up against surprisingly , and it’s the impetus for “Edible Estates,” the eco-activist project and book of architect and , who creates transformations of to crop-bearing front yards. With the subtitle, “Attack on the Front Lawn,” Haeg acknowledges just how revolutionary the idea strikes many American homeowners; there’s a place for everything, and the of the suburban landscape places manicured grass front and center.

The book reveals the reasons, many of them class-based and inherited from our British .

“The front lawn was born of vanity and decadence, under the assumption that was infinite,” Haeg writes in his introduction, pointing to how a vast patch of green highlights the majesty of the manor.

Both notions bring up current concerns about sustainability; we’re increasingly realizing that the earth indeed has its limits and that homes are part of a of finances, resources, and unspoken .

In the United States, the lawn’s ubiquity is about pride in the home, as well as in creating open, democratic (even when most outdoor suburban living takes place in the backyard).

An entertaining 1991 essay by is reprinted in the book, bringing his usual incisive social and ecological insights, as well as autobiographical gardening anecdotes, to a polemic against lawn mowing. He invokes neighborhood covenants and the puritanical sense of control exerted over trimmed , which is never allowed to flower and seed.

“Lawns are nature purged of sex and death,” he writes. “No wonder Americans like them so much.”

Haeg’s project is an activist gesture, his gardens serving as advertisements for alternative land uses. He put out open calls for homeowners willing to relandscape; the book documents examples in Kansas, California, New Jersey and England, each supplemented with garden plans and notes from the participants.

Michael Foti writes a blog about his family’s in Lakewood (Los Angeles County).

“We never really paid much attention to the front of the house when the lawn was there,” Foti notes. Like most of the participants, he finds that public cultivation of fruits and fosters a sense of community: kids coming by to pick strawberries and neighbors volunteering to help out.

An essay by Foti’s daughter Cecilia, for her seventh-grade class, is included, and it attests to her passionate belief in the form: “The American lawn needs to be eradicated from our society, and fast!” She backs up her claim by citing environmental, social and health benefits.

The book is an interesting hybrid of elements. It’s part green political tract, part social history, and part how-to guide. There’s a resource section, printed on brown paper, that includes a regional planting guide, informational Web sites, an extensive bibliography and testimonials by makers of their own unofficial edible estates.

While there are plenty of photographs included, the one thing that doesn’t quite come across is a convincing garden aesthetic; not all of the front yards seem all that attractive, even if they have designated seating areas to sit and smell the tomatoes.

It’s an interesting irony since Haeg’s project is very much positioned in the art world; he’s included in the current Whitney Biennial in New York (with a project called Animal Estates, in which he installs habitats - a bald eagle nest, for example - for creatures that have lived in Manhattan, on the site of the art museum).

Haeg is perhaps the best known of these garden conceptualists, though you can take his ideas at face value: His work is ultimately about positive ways of adapting to our current environmental realities - by whatever means necessary.

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Monday, May 12th, 2008

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Eco Gardens: How To Grow Fruit And Vegetables

The vegetable patch has become the most fashionable home improvement accessory, a makeover for the credit crunch era that should add value to your property in the long term. The “home allotment” (its virtues are extolled by Jamie Oliver) is not only proof of your impeccable green credentials, it is also a source of cheaper food Landscaping Stone. The cost of staples such as rice, bread, eggs and meat are rising relentlessly around the world, with no sign of let-up, and consumers are increasingly being forced to opt for less expensive fruit and to make their household budgets stack up.

But all that sowing, mulching, watering and reaping to grow your own may not be as much of a chore as you suppose, and fruit and veg simply tastes better if you eat it fresh from the ground. It’s all to do with the sugars: the natural sugars in a courgette, for example, will start turning to starch within minutes of it being cut from the vine, a process that will rob the courgettes of much of their beautiful sweet flavour.

Can anyone grow their own fruit and ? The answer is yes. Even someone with a window box or small can cultivate a wide variety of herbs, - or even fruit. Home are easy to get going and now is the perfect time of year to start.

First, you will need a growing area. This can be a few large pots or a couple of grow bags. If you have the space, build a raised bed using timber. In my work as a garden designer in southeast London, I build stylish raised beds for my clients using untreated French oak , which are bolted together. These raised beds are normally 480mm (19in) high by 2.6m long by 1.3m wide, but they can be virtually any size.

A raised bed is prepared by first adding a layer of shingle for drainage. It is then filled with a mixture of good landscaper’s loam and farm manure. Choosing the right location for your raised bed can be difficult within the restrictions of most gardens, but try to find the sunniest spot and not under overhanging trees.

The principles for large pots, grow bags and window boxes are the same: just remember that the smaller the container the more watering they will need. One useful tip for containers is to stand them on a tray or saucer filled with gravel. This helps to stop the soil from drying out, while the stops waterlogging around the roots. Now you have prepared your planting area, you can choose what to grow. The options are vast, from exotic pak choi to the humble spud. My choice for the garden allotment would have to include courgettes, French beans, strawberries and sweetcorn. You could also try an apple tree. Or why not be adventurous and give blueberries a go?

Courgettes (Cucurbita pepo): these are among the most productive you can grow. Aim to have three or four plants and to stagger the planting. Start by sowing the seeds in 7.5cm pots, 3cm deep in moist compost, placing the pot on a warm windowsill. When well-established, plant out in their final position and give them room to grow.

Sweetcorn (Zea mays): freshly picked, they are a treat. Again, sow them in pots or trays indoors and stagger the sowing, so that you get a steady flow of ripe cobs and not a flood. Sweetcorn is a hungry plant, so before planting out make sure to add plenty of organic fertiliser to the bed. Plant sweetcorn in blocks and not rows, so that they crosspollinate. Try them straight on to the barbecue - just fabulous.

Beans: French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) are a must in any home allotment. They like well-drained and need support: dwarf French beans require a few twigs to support the , while runners need a framework of bamboo poles or similar. Sow the seeds in 7.5cm pots, 4cm deep in moist multi-purpose , and place on a windowsill. Once germinated, harden off by placing outside in the shade during the day, and plant out two to three weeks later. Water well.

Strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa): Fruit such as these are best bought as in late summer or early autumn. Choose a good all-round type such as “Cambridge Vigour” or a perpetual fruiter like “Aromel”. I like to plant strawberries through a fabric. Simply spread a sheet over the area to be planted and secure it with pegs to the raised bed surround. Cut holes in the fabric and then plant into the prepared beneath. This will keep the around the shallow roots moist and warm, ensuring an early crop of fat beautiful strawberries. I have tried the fabric planting method on many , and it also works well for courgettes, tomatoes and sweetcorn.

Apples (Malus Sylvestris var. domestica): To achieve the best results you need a sunny, sheltered spot. Apples are best grown in the ground, but there are some varieties that can be pot-grown. The height and size of an apple tree is mainly determined by the root stock; ask your garden centre for advice on which variety to choose. Most apples require a second tree for pollination, so buy two trees of similar varieties. After planting, water well throughout the first two summers and thin out fruit as they develop.

Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum): Landscaping Stone For the more adventurous gardener, these fruit bushes prefer acid and slight shade or sun. Blueberries are also good in pots: use a 38cm or bigger pot and plant in ericaceous . One tip is to use collected rainwater and to feed with organic seaweed extract regularly throughout the growing season.

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Sunday, April 27th, 2008

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Rethinking The Home Garden

Delusions of grandeur run rampant in the gardening aisle. Lush landscaping and overflowing vegetable rows sound sweet and attainable. How hard can it be? Dig in the dirt; keep it watered.

Ah, neophyte exuberance.

Bob Polomski, chair of Clemson University’s horticulture department, said “smart small” is a better maxim. Garden Landscapin “It’s easy to buy and plant; where the rubber hits the road is in maintenance during the really hot summer months,” Polomski said. “Gardening doesn’t seem as much fun during the first week of August as it did in the first week of May.”

It’s an interesting time in gardening. Green concepts, the rage in industries ranging from autos to appliances, are hitting horticulture as well. So-called softer materials, including organics, have reduced the need for pesticides and other toxic goop.

“In addition to being more environmentally friendly, these softer materials, such as horticulture oils, are very pest specific and break down very rapidly,” Polomski said. “The whole idea of sustainability in and recycling materials, all of that is trying to make us better gardeners.”

The time to plant is now. (According to Polomski, the last frost date for the Upstate is April 15.) So the “What” and “where to plant” are two other matters. Fruit or vegetable producing crops need at least six to eight hours of daily sunlight. Leafy plants require a minimum of four hours.

Proximity should also be considered. A vegetable plant shouldn’t neighbor a bush or tree requiring gnarly pesticides. For example, various hybrid roses need to be sprayed for black spot. Planting rosemary peppers beside those roses could turn your homegrown salad into Jonestown.

But why would produce and non-edible intermingle, anyway? Two reasons: ease and aesthetics. Planting row after row is convenient if are grown en masse. But for casual gardeners, mixing a few producing into the landscape allows for simpler watering responsibilities.

The strategy can also add compelling texture to your yard. Polomski recommended a few edible for :

• Fairytale eggplant — The variety’s violent and purple stripes provide subtle yet exotic color.

• Hole mole pepper —“This is a good looking pepper that has a dark chocolate color,” Polomski said.

• Purple haze carrot — Polomski called the purple haze, named after the Jimi Hendrix tune, “really cool.” And yes, it is purple.

Red lettuces, purple cauliflower and various hues of potatoes can also invigorate sightlines.

“This idea of intermingling works great if you don’t want to donate a whole section of your yard to a garden,” Polomski said.

Container gardening is another consumer-friendly trend. The niche involves the pre-packaging of vessel and plant. Some nurseries will even custom assemble containers to a gardener’s specifications.

The practice is an extension of transplants —the tiny that are purchased for planting instead of seed. In additions to instant gratification benefits, transplants are also usually more successful than crops grown from seed, Polomski said.

“According to a recent Garden Writers Association survey, home vegetable gardens are increasing in popularity this year. Part of the reason is the price of food has made people think about growing their own again,” Polomski said. “I think that bodes well because I’ve been under the impression home gardening has been on the decline for a long time. You have to go back to the World War II victory gardens. Now it’s easier. You don’t have to have 40 acres of property; you just need a container.”

When selecting a limited amount of to grow, opt for the nutritious and expensive. The first requirement is easy to understand, and sweet potatoes offer the most healthful pop. For the latter consideration think of it this way:Garden Landscapin If it costs a lot at the grocery store, grow it. Red and yellow bell peppers, for instance.

But your decision needs to be practical. If you’re going to grow okra, make sure you’re not the only one in your family that will eat it.

“Growing your own is not only about trimming your grocery bill,” Polomski said. “It’s just great exercise and I like to see people, especially younger kids, spending more time outdoors and seeing how stuff is grown. It doesn’t just show up on grocery store shelves. Some of the younger generation may be completely unaware of that bit of the story.”

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Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

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The New Water Rules Are Landscaping Design

Rome and Floyd County have both eased their water restrictions, Landscaping Design but many residents might be uncertain about just when they can turn on the spigot.

The city, the county and the state now allow for 25 minutes of hand watering per day on an odd-even schedule between midnight and 10 a.m.

People living at even-numbered addresses may water existing landscape on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, while odd-numbered addresses may water on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. These restrictions apply to city and county residents

who have existing in their yards. They do not have to apply for permits to water existing landscapes.

Residents who also have a food garden, which include fruits, and herb gardens can also water.

Hand watering, according to the regulations, Design is one person with one garden hose with a spray nozzle that shuts off when the handle is released.

Newly installed features can be watered as many as 10 consecutive weeks, three times per week between midnight and 10 a.m. on the same schedule as those with existing landscapes. Newly installed is defined as that has been installed within the past 30 days. Those with newly installed landscapes are required to file for a permit only if they wish to water for more than 25 minutes a day.

Homeowners can obtain a permit from the Outdoor Registration Program at www.urbanagcouncil.com.

Also, under the new guidelines, Landscaping Design new and existing pools may be filled.

Residents should always check with their local water offices to ask about current water restrictions.

However, local residents shouldn’t be worried about water levels in Rome. There are currently 4 billion gallons of water flowing through the city per day from the Etowah and Oostanaula rivers, with 9 million gallons used per day by city residents with a peak of about 18 million gallons, according to Leigh Ross, water and sewer division director for the city of Rome.

Ross suggests those looking to conserve water take practical measures, like turning off the faucet while brushing teeth or shaving in the morning Design, limiting the time in the shower and collecting water condensation off air conditioning units to supplement the 25-minute hand watering restrictions of .

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Friday, April 11th, 2008

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The AlzheimerS Garden

One speciality of St Equipment Landscaping. Anthony Park resident Erik Jorgensen, whose business is called Wandering Designs, is creating Alzheimer’s gardens, which often include a structure such as a .

Unless you know someone with Alzheimer’s disease, you may never have heard of an Alzheimer’s garden. The concept is popular on both coasts but isn’t well-known in Minnesota.

That’s changing, however, through the efforts of St. Anthony Park resident Erik Jorgensen and his business, Wandering Designs, which specializes in therapeutic gardens.

An Alzheimer’s garden is usually constructed as part of a nursing home or retirement home in an area protected from the elements. There must be a solid fence at least eight feet high — so residents don’t try to leave or become distressed by what happens outside the garden — and a locked gate. Pathways should be easy to follow.

The garden should be calm and peaceful but have many sources of stimulation: brightly colored flowers with pleasant scents, plants and pathways with varied textures  Equipment Landscaping. Often Jorgensen includes or wind chimes, as well as feeders that attract birds and other wildlife.

At the farthest point of the garden is a major —Equipment a table with a brightly colored umbrella, wishing well, , porch — to coax people along the paths, and there are frequent rest stops with benches that have backs and arm rests. Benches are angled rather than facing each other because most Alzheimer’s patients don’t like to look at other people straight on.

Jorgensen tries to evoke childhood memories by using old-fashioned such as hollyhocks, clotheslines, picket fences, wishing wells and arbors. He adds an open area for activities: having a barbecue, or , meeting with therapy animals.

“The garden must be an active rather than a passive place,” he says.

Jorgensen grew up in Como Park and attended North Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota, where he got a bachelor’s degree in environmental design. He worked for Bachman’s in Eden Prairie, where he ran the garden center, and later joined McCarron Designs, where he did interior landscape design. He did “The Mighty Axe” at the Mall of America and the landscaping design for the Episcopal Home on University Avenue.

In 1999 the American Society of Landscape Architects began “One Hundred Years, One Hundred Gardens,” a pro bono project on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. McCarron Designs worked with other artists to plan the Tabitha Garden, specifically for Alzheimer’s patients, at the Regina Medical Center in Hastings.

Jorgensen looked for others with more experience to help him but wasn’t able to find anyone. So he began educating himself about Alzheimer’s patients and the general principles guiding their care.

The project was a success and Jorgensen became the resident expert on Alzheimer’s gardens at McCarron Designs. After being laid off there, he received a commission to plan a therapy garden in the courtyard at the HealthEast Marion Center in St. Paul. That lead to other jobs, and he started his own company, Wandering Designs, in 2003, with Alzheimer’s gardens as his specialty. About 85 percent of his business is therapy gardens.

“This feels so much better to me than doing corporate ,” Jorgensen says. “That is often just to feed someone’s ego by constructing a fabulous interior space. This is an ‘egoless’ endeavor — to design a place that feels more like home than an institution for people who are at the end of their lives. It feels right.”

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Monday, April 7th, 2008

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Best bets for the weekend

The University of Washington’s flowering cherry trees are at their peak (go take a peek), and next week is April already which means tulip time in the Skagit Valley (soon; go right now to see blinding yellow fields of ). A new feature, How It’s Done, has a tulip Q%26amp;A and all the Tulip Festival details. Need more ideas to put spring in your step? Try:

Gardenology 101: Get smart this weekend with a full harvest of gardening workshops and seminars, from the Northwest Horticultural Society’s Spring Gardening Symposium in Kenmore to “Planning Your ” in Marysville.

Veg out: After all that garden planning, you’ll be in the mood for eating lettuce and kale and kohlrabi. Head for Vegfest, which claims to be the nation’s biggest vegetarian food festival. (In Seattle? How can that be?)

Or meet the meat: Nobody can say our fair city doesn’t have something for everybody. If give you a reaction, maybe you need to head for Pike Place Market’s Barbecue Competition, with competing chefs and meat-burning tips.

X-chromosome crossing: The signs will be posted down by Qwest Field, home to this weekend’s Northwest Women’s Show, where you can find anything from fashion workshops to strutting firefighters. Get the details in our Weekend Highlight.

Methode Rumm%26#225;ge: If you’re an aficionado of fine, vintage rummage, head for Lakeside’s Spring Rummage Sale at Lakeside School (Bill Gates’ alma mater; look for really old software). Or help raise money at a rummage sale at Auburn Senior Center.

Get catty: OK, last month you did the dog show. Give equal time to species head for the North Cascades Cat Fanciers Cat Show this weekend in Monroe.

Don’t mow the grass: Instead, go hear bluegrass. There’s a Bluegrass Festival at Long Beach, on the coast, this weekend. Or go for cinnamon rolls at the Maltby Cafe and while you’re there catch the Maltby Bluegrass Concert, Auction %26amp; Jam on Saturday.

Make a splash: Or don’t, if you do things right during your test row at the Sammamish Rowing Open House, Saturday in Redmond.

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Sunday, March 30th, 2008

Landscaping Rock No Comments

I Love German Wine and Food a Mosel Qualitaetswein

If you are looking for fine German wine and food, consider the Mosel region of central western Germany on the border of Luxembourg. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you’ll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local white Qualitaetswein (read inexpensive) Riesling.

The Mosel Valley is felt to be one of the most beautiful river valleys in the world. This region, previously called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer in honor of its three rivers, is famous for its Riesling wine. Some of the greatest Rieslings in Germany and in fact in the entire world come from the Mosel Valley. Experts can often identify Mosel Rieslings because of the slate in the local soil, which may impart a taste of flint. The slopes are among the steepest in the wine-producing world, and sometimes attain 70 degrees. The is so precious that every spring local workers lug pails of up these steep slopes, temporarily reversing the effect of the rains that wash the down every winter.

Mosel ranks number five among the thirteen German wine regions when it comes to both vineyard acreage and total wine production. Slightly over three quarters of the regional wine is classified as QbA and somewhat less than one quarter is higher quality QmP wine. Only one percent is table wine. More than half of Mosel wine is Riesling. The German hybrid white grape variety Mueller-Thurgau represents about 20% of the wine production. In third place is the historic Elbing that dates back to Roman times. Only about 2% of Mosel wine is red.

The Mosel Valley pretty well stretches from Koblenz which isn’t far from Germany’s former capital Bonn to the city of Trier sitting very close to the border with Luxemburg. These two fine cities are linked by the Mosel Weinstrasse (Mosel Wine Road) which is approximately 140 miles (224 kilometers) long on the eastern side of the river and somewhat less on the western side. Of course, you could take the autobahn to travel between Koblenz and Trier at breakneck speed. If you do, you’ll miss the interesting little towns and vineyards along the way.

Cochem lies about one third of the way from Koblenz to Trier. It’s a fine little Mosel River Valley town. This medieval town is long and narrow. You should take a boat trip as well as a walking tour. Outside the town gate is the Kaiser Wilhelm railway tunnel, which at 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) is the longest in all Germany. After about a fifteen minute walk you will reach the Reichsburg (Imperial Fortress), a thousand year old castle that overlooks Cochem. The castle hosts a medieval banquet which features period costumes and music on Fridays and Saturdays but you must reserve in advance. North of the city is a larger castle, the Burg Eltz a few miles inland from the Mosel.

Before reviewing the Mosel wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Aalsuppe (Eel Soup). For your second course enjoy Rolladen (Beef rolls with Bacon and Pickles). As a dessert indulge yourself with Moselweintorte (Chocolate and Wine Cake).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Moselland Bernkasteler Kurfurstlay 2005 9.5% alcohol about $8.50

Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting Note: Pale straw yellow colour; citrus, mineral and dried apricot aromas and flavours; balanced with crisp acidity in the finish. Serving : Serve chilled with pork, turkey or appetizers. Spicy asian dishes.

My first pairing was with a homemade pizza with lots of tomato sauce, , and cheese but no meat. This wine displayed refreshing acidity that worked well with the pizza sauce. It had good fruit and was surprisingly long.

The next meal included a barbecued chicken marinated in a commercial Mediterranean-style light sauce, red-skinned potatoes, and a somewhat spicy Turkish salad. The wine’s acidity cut the fat very well and yet complemented the tomato’s own acidity which largely defined the salad. This little and lightly alcoholic wine (9.5% when 13% plus seems to be the new norm) was quite assertive, especially with the potatoes. And yet it was somewhat flat with dessert, some orange fruit-juice candy.

The final meal was whole-wheat pasta in a sauce that started out with your basic commercial pasta sauce. I livened it up with a fried medley of garlic, red onions, red and green peppers, topped with anchovies and shredded (local) Asiago cheese. The wine was light and fruity and the combination was quite tasty. I was happy that this Riesling was low-alcohol (and inexpensive) so that I could drink quite a bit without any negative effects, including to my pocketbook.

The initial cheese pairing was with a mild Italian Pecorino Fruilano. The wine was sweet but didn’t impress me very much. Then I tried it with a nutty Dutch Edam cheese. Once again the wine was sweet but it was round and the combination went quite well.

Final verdict. Great bargain. The wine really goes well with simple food. I didn’t get a chance to try it with gourmet specialties but wouldn’t be surprised if it did as well as many wines including Rieslings at twice the price. If I weren’t saddled with so many wines to taste (talk about problems) I’d buy half a case and drink one every two months or so. Then I’d try one from the next vintage and hope to repeat the process.

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Thursday, March 27th, 2008

Landscaping Idea No Comments

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