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Monday, July 16, 2007
Moss Plants: Shade Garden Favorite an Alternative to Lawns
From David Beaulieu
Plant Taxonomy of Mosses: There are various types of mosses, and their plant taxonomies differ. A couple of examples are Sphagnum cymbifolium for sphagnum moss and Polytrichum juniperinum for haircap moss.
Plant Taxonomy of Mosses: There are various types of mosses, and their plant taxonomies differ. A couple of examples are Sphagnum cymbifolium for sphagnum moss and Polytrichum juniperinum for haircap moss.
Plant Type for Moss: Because they are low-growing and can form dense mats, moss plants can be considered an alternative ground cover for landscaping and planted as "shade gardens" in lieu of traditional lawns.
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones for Mosses: Varies, depending on moss type. Many mosses are quite hardy, but Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is a plant of the South, grown in zones 9-11.
Characteristics of Moss Plants: Ground moss plants are low-growing. Some mosses, massed together, give a smooth appearance, including rock cap mosses (Dicranum), fern mosses (Thuidium) and the aptly named "cushion" mosses (Leucobryum). Other moss plants have a relatively spikier appearance, including haircap moss and sphagnum moss. Both types can be used in shade gardens, depending on the look you're trying to achieve.
Unusual Attributes of Moss Plants: Moss plants do not possess true roots. Instead, mosses derive their nutrients and moisture from the air.
Sun and Soil Requirements for Moss Plants: Most mosses require shady spots, making them ideal constituents of shade gardens. They also like moisture. Many moss species not only tolerate, but require compaction in the soil beneath them -- just the opposite of most specimens sold at nurseries. Moss plants like a soil with a pH that is acidic (5.0 - 5.5).
How to Get Rid of Moss Plants in Lawns: Many people consider moss plants to be weeds, when found in their lawns. If you wish to get rid of moss, it is easy enough to do so. Its very presence in your lawn sends a clear signal as to what your lawn is lacking. Simply provide your lawn with what it is lacking, and you'll be able to cultivate grass in the areas now occupied by moss (except for shady spots). Provide your lawn with the following:
- core aeration
- Fertilizer
- lime to raise soil pH
Common Misconception About Moss Plants: Sphagnum moss is not the same thing as "sphagnum peat moss," although both are harvested for use in the greenhouse trade. Sphagnum moss is harvested live. Nurseries use it as the "chinking" for hanging wire baskets. Sphagnum peat moss is harvested as dead material at the bottom of peat bogs. Sold by the bag, it is mixed into soil to improve aeration and water retention.
Domestic Uses for Moss Plants: Some domestic uses for moss plants are suggested by nature. In the woods, "rock cap" mosses are just that, serving as tight-fitting caps for boulders. Not surprisingly, the idea is carried over into rock gardening. Shady spots in the woods are often home to moss plants, suggesting their use on the landscape in shade gardens. Moss plants, in general, require not only a shady spot, but also moisture, making them a natural choice for the perimeter of a water feature on the landscape.
With its emphasis on minimalism rather than showy blooming plants, Japanese gardening easily accomodates moss plants, as do the "wild" or "natural" landscapes that are growing in popularity among Westerners. But any shady spots of the landscape traversed via stone walkways or patios are fitting for mosses. Moss plants can be grown in between the cracks of the stonework, thereby functioning not only as a decorative element, but also as a living "mulch" of sorts.
Finally, moss plants can be used as an alternative to lawn grass in shady spots, where grass refuses to grow. Considering how often moss grows in lawn areas problematic for grass, it readily suggests itself as just such an alternative. Most lawn grasses have difficulty with the very conditions in which mosses thrive:
With its emphasis on minimalism rather than showy blooming plants, Japanese gardening easily accomodates moss plants, as do the "wild" or "natural" landscapes that are growing in popularity among Westerners. But any shady spots of the landscape traversed via stone walkways or patios are fitting for mosses. Moss plants can be grown in between the cracks of the stonework, thereby functioning not only as a decorative element, but also as a living "mulch" of sorts.
Finally, moss plants can be used as an alternative to lawn grass in shady spots, where grass refuses to grow. Considering how often moss grows in lawn areas problematic for grass, it readily suggests itself as just such an alternative. Most lawn grasses have difficulty with the very conditions in which mosses thrive:
- Soils with an acidic pH
- Soils that are compacted
- Shady spots -- which are ideal candidates for conversion into shade gardens!
How to Grow (or Kill) Moss
About.comFrom Marie Iannotti
People either love moss or hate it. For every gardener who tries the buttermilk in the blender trick, there is a homeowner searching the shelves for a moss eradicator. Being in the "If it's green, it can stay." camp, I'm quite fond of the moss in my yard. I especially love it covering stone and ornaments, like the mill stone, at right. Moss lovers are willing to pay a pretty price for an instantly aged piece like this.
Enliven landscape when heat is on
Weeding the garden, edging the flower bed and keeping the lawn trimmed are bare-minimum musts for those selling a home. But what will catch a buyer's eye?
Here are a few picture-perfect ways to perk up your home's appeal, despite the heat and humidity.
MAKE YOUR GARDEN POP
Jennifer Hanley, vice president of marketing services for the Scotts Co., prefers mulch that complements the color of a home's brick, siding or paint, but "right now we would recommend going with a darker color. Lighter shades tend to blend in with how the lawn looks. It will make it look like you have really rich soil," Hanley says.
GREEN(ER) GRASS
"At this time of year, if you're selling your house, water the heck out of your grass to make it lush and green," says Mark Schneider, a realtor with Comey and Shepherd in West Chester Township.
SCALE BACK THE FOLIAGE
Mature trees and bushes can take over a yard.
"It has to be in proportion to the house. If you've got juniper bushes that are three or four feet over a window, you're hiding the house," Schneider says.
DON'T COLOR BY NUMBERS
Colorful flowers should be eye-catching, not stare-inducing.
"Don't junk it up with a bunch of different perennials," says John Smith, co-owner of No Limits Landscaping Inc., in Maineville.
An average front lawn can incorporate seven to 12 different plant types, but coordinate types of plants, Smith says.
THINK LONG-TERM
If you need to spring for new grass or plants, consider what will appeal to buyers in the winter and what won't require much upkeep if you move before selling your home.
"I like evergreens because, in today's market, you might be sitting on (a house) in the winter. You want some color year-round," Smith says.
Try mixing different shades of evergreen, from light green to hints of burgundy.
Sally Jacobsen, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker West Shell in Milford, recommends buffalo grass, which grows to just 4 inches and only has to be mowed a few times a year.
UPDATE THE APPEAL
Curb appeal is useless if no one sees it.
"Everybody needs to get their realtor out there and take new pictures each season," Jacobsen says. "If you do anything new, take a new picture."
Horticulture, design consultant is seeing green
Ventura County Star
By Jim Woodard
Juan Carlo / Star staff Emerald Coast Plantscapes in Newbury Park, owned by Kevin Urquhart, places and services plants in restaurants, medical and law offices and retail centers.
Five years ago, Kevin Urquhart decided to use his 25 years of horticulture and interior design experience to launch a new business from his Newbury Park home. It turned out to be a very successful and strategically timed venture.
His firm, Emerald Coast Plantscapes, supplies and maintains selected plants for business and professional offices and other commercial sites in Ventura County.
"Initially, we visit the business of a prospective customer and specify the locations that would most benefit from the placement of attractive plants," Urquhart said. "Then we recommend the size and variety of plants that would best complement those spaces. We create plantscapes that will transform a business environment into one that is serene, pleasant and welcoming — one that fosters productivity."
After the plants are positioned, one of Emerald Coast's nine staff members maintains them weekly, giving them needed water and fertilizer. If a plant fails, it is replaced at no cost to the customer.
The monthly fee varies depending on many factors, but starts at $125. The overall average fee is about $250 per month. In some cases, the firm provides extended services, such as installing large specimen trees or planning built-in planters and atriums.
A growing segment of the business is providing plants in model homes in new residential developments, and staging for marketing purposes.
The business was launched at a particularly strategic time as recent scientific studies show that the proper use of interior plants clean the air of pollutants found in many buildings. The studies also reveal that plants contribute to the morale, productivity and well-being of those who work and visit in buildings that display plants, Urguhart pointed out.
"Interior plants are a big part of the solution to creating healthy buildings — known today as Green Buildings. As long as I can remember it has been a dream of mine to own and run a successful business, as this is turning out to be," said Urquhart, 44.
About half of his current 100 customers have contracted for plants in commercial buildings. The other half are for residential structures.
The firm is a member of Plantscape Industry Alliance and the Plants at Work organization. The Emerald Coast office and warehouse is at 2624 Lavery Court, Suite 207, in Newbury Park.
For more information about Emerald Coast Plantscapes, visit the firm's Web site: http://www.emeraldcoastplants.com or phone 480-9141.
* * *
There have been a variety of stories about those two rugged eucalyptus trees that stand majestically atop "Two Trees Hill" overlooking Ventura. Considering all the interest and talk about those trees, the owners of a new Ventura restaurant decided to name their restaurant, Two Trees Cafe.
The business is a breakfast-lunch eatery at 7822 Telegraph Road in east Ventura in the Albertsons Shopping Center at the corner of Kimball Road.
The owners are two young brothers, Raul and Isaac Rubalcava, age 28 and 25, respectively. They opened the doors of their cafe for the first time on June 7.
The brothers are sons of Raul Rubalcava Sr., who has owned and operated Main Street Restaurant & Steakhouse in midtown Ventura for the past 12 years. Both brothers have been actively involved with their father's restaurant but have long been planning to open their own restaurant in east Ventura.
"We researched the area quite thoroughly before deciding on our current location," Raul Jr. said. "We considered another location in east Ventura but finally decided to sign a two-year lease on the Telegraph Road offering. So far, our business volume is better than we anticipated for this early point in our operation."
There are a total of six employees now at the new cafe — all Rubalcava relatives. It's open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The brothers also have other business interests. Raul Jr. is a teacher at Ventura High School, teaching Spanish and English languages. Isaac is a business consultant. And they both still have some responsibilities at their father's restaurant.
When this restaurant reaches a healthy rate of profitability, the brothers plan to open other units, probably starting with one in Oxnard. For more information about Two Trees Cafe, phone 659-3365.
— Star columnist Jim Woodard, a Ventura resident, is a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. Fax him at 644-0790 or e-mail him at Storyjim@aol.com.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Couple's home is a natural getaway
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Louise Epstein and John Henry McDonald are self-professed homebodies. Epstein, an entrepreneur and former Austin City Council member, even works from home.
"My objective is to stay home as much as possible," Epstein says.
That singular goal was the driving force behind the remodeling of the couple's 3,700-square-foot, limestone-clad West Austin house, which borders the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. The landscape already set the scene for a peaceful, resort-style of living, but Epstein and McDonald spent a year adding more touches (such as the 25-yard, zero-edge swimming pool designed to look like a lake) that keep them content stoking the home fires. They can now find serenity at home instead of seeking it elsewhere.
But before all of that relaxing could start, there was work to be done. After buying the house in 2005, McDonald, founder and president of Austin Asset Management and 'the Finance Guy' from News 8 Austin, says they "gutted it down to the studs and moved walls." They hired Barley & Pfeiffer Architects to design their dream.
Builder Matt Oliver of Oliver Custom Homes was the original builder, and the couple called on him for the remodeling (Epstein says she gives him credit for everything). Oliver also suggested several unique finishes for the interior, such as the Massaranduba (or Brazilian redwood) divider between the living room and kitchen, a copper "pebble" back-
splash (pebble-shaped copper pieces are embedded in the drywall) that ascends from the brown and cream granite countertops to the ceiling, and distressed copper fronts on the stairs.
The neutral color palette highlights the couple's extensive art and modern furniture collections (a classic black Isamu Noguchi coffee table and several striking pieces of furniture by local artist and designer Hawkeye Glenn dot the living room) and views of the preserve, visible from almost every area when looking out of the wealth of windows in the back of the house.
"Art is what really gives the color to these rooms, and that's what it's all about," says McDonald.
Entertaining is a favorite pastime for Epstein and McDonald. They often host charity events for groups such as the Austin Lyric Opera, the Austin Classical Guitar Society and the Long Center for the Performing Arts. The balconies, decks and other outdoor spaces, surrounded by low-water, native Texas plants and wildflowers, as well as a small recirculating, goldfish-filled pond (a frequent mealtime stop-over for a blue heron living in the neighborhood) and other water features, offer a variety of choices for year-round gatherings or a simple party of two.
Epstein and McDonald continue to make subtle tweaks and changes to the house. Their philosophy is that this is an ongoing and organic process, so both are content to spend their weeks and months whittling and chiseling away at their private sanctuary.
"People travel for various reasons — the peace, the luxury," Epstein says. "I wanted to get this out of my home."
Protecting plants from insects among June landscape tasks
Q:Will you please list tips for landscape care during June?
A:I'll sort the tips into categories.
•General landscape. Enlist someone to water plants in the house and garden while on vacation.
Harvesting vegetables and mowing the lawn are musts and imply that someone is home.
Mulch ornamentals, vegetables and annuals to reduce soil crusting and to regulate temperatures and moisture during hot summer months. Mulching will reduce about 70 percent of summer yard maintenance.
Remain alert for insect damage. Add spider mite to the list of pests to look for. Foliage of most plants becomes pale and speckled; juniper foliage turns a pale yellowish color. Shake a branch over white paper and watch for tiny specks that crawl. Watch for first-generation fall webworms.
•Turfgrass. Fertilize warm-season grasses at 1 pound per 1,000 square feet. Don't fertilize fescue and other cool-season grasses during summer.
Dollar spot disease of lawns can first become visible in mid-May. Make certain fertilizer applications have been adequate before applying a fungicide.
Seeding of warm-season grasses should be completed by the end of June to reduce winter-kill losses.
Brown patch disease of cool-season grasses can be a problem.
White grubs will be emerging as adult June beetles. Watch for high populations that can indicate potential damage from later life cycle stages as grubs in summer.
•Fruits and nuts. Renovate overgrown strawberry beds after the last harvest. Start by setting your lawnmower on its highest setting and mow off the foliage. Next, thin crowns 12-24 inches apart. Apply recommended fertilizer, a pre-emergence herbicide if needed, and keep plants watered.
•Trees and shrubs. Vigorous, unwanted limbs should be removed or shortened on new trees.
Watch for forks in the main trunk and remove the least desirable trunk as soon as it is noticed.
Pine needle disease treatments are needed again in mid-June.
Remove tree wraps during summer to avoid potential disease and insect buildup.
Softwood cuttings from new growth of many shrubs will root if propagated in a moist shady spot.
Protect trees from lawnmowers and weed eaters by mulching or using protective aerated covers.
•Flowers. Pinch back leggy annuals to encourage new growth. Fertilize and water appropriately.
Feed established mums and other perennials.
When picking fresh roses or removing faded ones, cut back to a leaflet facing the outside of the bush to encourage open growth and air circulation.
Stake tall perennials before toppling winds arrive.
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