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Aug 12, 2009 A study at Oregon State University found that insect defenses against two commonly used pesticides, propoxur and fipronil, were strongest during mid-day, and weakest around dawn, dusk or the middle of the night.
Solomon was right. There is a time to be born and a time to die.
By Bill Stonehouse | August 04, 2009 at 02:38 AM EDT | No Comments
Each quarter-mile median will cost $2,000 to $5,500 annually depending on the location and greenery. In exchange, two signs containing a donor's name will be placed in medians publicizing the contribution.
The city of Clovis, CA is trying to get community members to adopt medians and defray city costs. The city's landscape maintenance program has been hit hard by budget woes. Three years ago, the city had 18 workers to take care of 180 acres of parks and medians. Today, the city has eight people covering 207 acres, said Luke Serpa, Clovis assistant public utilities director.
With the worsening economy, funds have been slashed by more than $8 million over the past two years. City medians, for the past two years, have been manicured monthly by city workers, but now can only be maintained once a year after the latest cuts. The city needs at least $108,000 a year for median maintenance, Luke Serpa said.
In some parts of Clovis, property owners pay the cost of parks and median maintenance; but in other areas, the city’s general fund pays for their upkeep. The city’s landscape staff focuses on areas where residents pay for the services.
Under the new program, businesses, service clubs, families and individuals can underwrite the costs for median landscaping.
The money will pay for city workers or landscape contractors to maintain the medians. City officials want to start the program this summer.
By Bill Stonehouse | July 30, 2009 at 12:08 AM EDT | No Comments
What could be more pleasant than sitting on your patio in the morning, sipping a hot beverage, reading a paper, and hearing the chirping of birds around you. Then to look up and see them feeding brings a feeling of bucolic bliss.
Would it surpise you to know that you are not at the mercy of chance in your quest to attract birds?
You can actually make some landscape choices that will promote their presence.
Tell your designer that this is your desire and follow some of the advice of John Staples in planning your project.
"Behind every successful bird garden is a good landscape design. As the following tips reveal, there's a great difference between sowing the common lawn and establishing a bird-friendly garden. Here are ten pointers for attracting birds:"
By Bill Stonehouse | July 29, 2009 at 11:59 PM EDT | No Comments
I always felt bad as a young person, whenever I saw trees being pruned.
I did not have a handle either on the biblical admonitions or scientific realities of how pruning promotes growth.
Once I did understand that, I was equally crippled by the fact that I did not know how to prune.
I was glad to find a simple article on the subject online.
This is from About.com:
"The main purpose of this FAQ series is to answer questions about pruning trees, but along the way I also treat a few other, basic issues regarding trees. For instance, many homeowners seek recommendations for trees that would have the greatest impact on a landscape design:"
NOTE: Primarily resources for California-based projects
The Local Government Commission (LGC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership organization that provides inspiration, technical assistance, and networking to community leaders who are working to create healthy, walkable, and resource-efficient communities.
The Emerging Renewables Program provides rebates to consumers who install qualifying renewable energy systems. Through this program, the Energy Commission provides funding to offset the cost of purchasing and installing new renewable energy systems using emerging renewable technologies.
The Energy Efficiency Financing Program provides financing for schools, hospitals and local governments through low-interest loans for feasibility studies and the installation of energy-saving measures.
By Bill Stonehouse | July 13, 2009 at 07:01 PM EDT | No Comments
From the EPA:
Water efficiency: EPA's WaterSense partnership makes it easy for Americans to save water and protect the environment. Consumers can look for the WaterSense label to choose quality, water-efficient products. WaterSense also provides resources for promotional partners, like utilities, state and local governments, who want to establish water efficiency measures. Through water conservation, state and local governments can reduce water and wastewater infrastructure costs while protecting vital resources for future generation. Learn more about becoming a WaterSense promotional partner.
Of this exhibity, the Christian Science Monitor's Sally Fergusson writes, "The designers’ highly naturalistic concept, sophisticated plant mixes and artistic interplay of form and color, are causing real excitement at the Garden, where many are referring to the design as “pure genius.” Read More at "Watch a Landscape Develop Before Your Eyes."
What an exciting concept and a seedbed for creative thinking.
By Bill Stonehouse | June 30, 2009 at 01:43 AM EDT | No Comments
I think the true gardener is a lover of his flowers, not a critic of them. I think the true gardener is the reverent servant of Nature, not her truculent, wife-beating master. I think the true gardener, the older he grows, should more and more develop a humble, grateful and uncertain spirit. ~Reginald Farrer, In a Yorkshire Garden, 1909
Garden writing is often very tame, a real waste when you think how opinionated, inquisitive, irreverent and lascivious gardeners themselves tend to be. Nobody talks much about the muscular limbs, dark, swollen buds, strip-tease trees and unholy beauty that have made us all slaves of the Goddess Flora. ~Ketzel Levine's talkingplants.com
Last night, there came a frost, which has done great damage to my garden.... It is sad that Nature will play such tricks on us poor mortals, inviting us with sunny smiles to confide in her, and then, when we are entirely within her power, striking us to the heart. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, The American Notebooks
By Bill Stonehouse | June 30, 2009 at 01:40 AM EDT | No Comments
I used to visit and revisit it a dozen times a day, and stand in deep contemplation over my vegetable progeny with a love that nobody could share or conceive of who had never taken part in the process of creation. It was one of the most bewitching sights in the world to observe a hill of beans thrusting aside the soil, or a rose of early peas just peeping forth sufficiently to trace a line of delicate green. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mosses from and Old Manse
By Bill Stonehouse | June 30, 2009 at 01:36 AM EDT | No Comments
In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful. ~Abram L. Urban
Your garden is a place of refuge for you. It is a place of inspiration and soul refreshment. How you design it and care for it is a factor in your spiritual, emotional, and even physical health.
As the landscape of your life nutures your soul, so does the landscape of your hope.
Plan carefully with your designer. Know yourself, your needs, and what it is you wish to accomplish.
In this place of growth, you will find space for your life to grow as well.
By Bill Stonehouse | June 27, 2009 at 11:08 PM EDT | No Comments
According to its web site, "Dave's Garden is an informational website where a large, international community of gardeners can learn from each other and find resources offered by the gardening industry."'
One of the really nice features of Dave's page are the pictures that users send in of their landscaping ideas.
By Bill Stonehouse | June 21, 2009 at 10:52 PM EDT | No Comments
HGTV has brought together some of the best gardening experts to share their insider tips on how to avoid common landscaping disasters and what to do to fix them if it does happen.
"Don't start a landscaping project without a plan. Decide on a specific theme or look and then draw it out on paper. Figure out where you want to put your plants and shrubs in relation to the shape and style of your house. Examine ways to bring the inside out so that when you are finished, you have a nice, harmonious design. Don't forget to factor in your budget, and when you hit the nursery, stick to it. If you follow the plan, you (and your landscape) will reap the rewards."
By Bill Stonehouse | June 19, 2009 at 11:48 PM EDT | No Comments
Cary, North Carolina is serious about water conservation. If their web site is any indication, they put commitment where there rhetoric is:
Landscaping Cary Style If the words "water efficient landscape" make you think about cacti and sand, you're probably not alone. Many people think "water efficient" is the opposite of lush, green, flowering landscapes. But that's really not the case. In fact, you may be surprised by the variety, beauty, and ease of landscaping that uses water efficiently. The Town offers free workshops on using water wisely.
By Bill Stonehouse | June 17, 2009 at 08:47 PM EDT | No Comments
According to, Roboreel, "The most natural boundary you can have in your yard is a thicket or hedge comprised solely of shrubs or trees with texture lined up in a row. This natural fence can filter out noise, deflect wind, add privacy, and provide habitat for small birds and other creatures. "
By Bill Stonehouse | June 17, 2009 at 08:46 PM EDT | No Comments
According to, Roboreel, "The most natural boundary you can have in your yard is a thicket or hedge comprised solely of shrubs or trees with texture lined up in a row. This natural fence can filter out noise, deflect wind, add privacy, and provide habitat for small birds and other creatures. "
Landscaping with native plants improves the environment. Native plants are hardy because they have adapted to the local conditions. Once established, native plants do not need pesticides, fertilizers, or watering. Not only is this good for the environment, it saves time and money. A native landscape does not need to be mowed like a conventional lawn. This reduces the demand for non-renewable resources and improves the water and air quality. The periodic burning (or mowing when burning is not practical) required for maintenance of a prairie landscape mimics the natural prairie cycle and is much better for the environment. Landscaping with native wildflowers and grasses helps return the area to a healthy ecosystem. Diverse varieties of birds, butterflies and animals, are attracted to the native plants, thus enhancing the biodiversity of the area. The beauty of native wildflowers and grasses creates a sense of place, both at home and work. The native plants increase our connection to nature, help educate our neighbors, and provide a beautiful, peaceful place to relax.
Reduced Use of Pesticides Since native plants have adapted to local conditions, they are more resistant to pest problems. Sometimes individuals use non-persistent pesticides, which break down into harmless components, before sowing native plant seeds to minimize competition from the weeds. Once the native plants are established, pesticides are seldom needed.
Improved Air Quality Native landscaping practices can help improve air quality on a local regional and global level. Locally, smog (ground level ozone) and air toxics can be drastically reduced by the virtual elimination of the need for lawn maintenance equipment (lawn mowers, weed edgers, leaf blowers, etc.) which is fueled by gasoline, electricity or batteries. All of these fuel types are associated with the emissions of the following air pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and air toxics such as benzene. Gasoline lawn and garden equipment, on average, produces 5% of ozone-forming VOCs in areas with smog problems. This equipment also emits toxics and particulates.
Regionally, the NOx and SO2 released from lawn maintenance equipment react with water in the atmosphere to form acid rain.
Globally, native landscaping practices help to combat global warming in two ways. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major greenhouse gas and by reducing the use of lawn maintenance equipment, the associated CO2emissions are also reduced. Native plants help to reduce the amount of CO2in the atmosphere by taking in CO2and storing the carbon in the body of the plants, roots and soil. Native plants work much better than traditional mowed grass as a carbon sink due to their extensive root systems and increased ability to retain and store water.
Improved Water Quality In conventional landscaping, pesticides are often wrongly applied at times when target insects are not vulnerable. Overuse and inappropriate use often kill beneficial insects and other wildlife. Less than 10% of all insects are harmful to plants. Pesticides have the potential to cause serious human health problems when not handled properly or applied according to the label directions. By eliminating or minimizing the use of pesticides and fertilizers, these pollutants will not run-off into streams, lake, and bays. This improves the quality of the water and the aquatic life in it. In healthy water systems. natural controls, such as fish, frogs, and snails will help keep insect populations under control and reduce algae buildup.
Download a partial list of resources and publications on natural landscaping.
This publication is 10 years old buyt still contains some valuable resources.
The Green Acres site contains some other valuable resources including these links:
Green Landscaping: Greenacres
Conservation and Native Landscaping Awards The United States Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago and Chicago Wilderness developed the Conservation and Native Landscaping Awards to recognize outstanding efforts by corporations, park districts and municipalities to use native plants in the landscape within the Chicago Wilderness region. /2009 Conservation and Native Landscaping Award Application/
Landscaping with Native Plants: Exploring the Environmental, Social, and Economic Benefits December 6 - 7, 2004 Conference Summary and Identified Research Agenda In this two-day conference we explored the state of knowledge for quantifying the benefits of landscaping with native plants with a focus on the Great Lakes basin ecosystem. We presented a series of survey papers examining native plant landscaping and Biodiversity, Air Quality, Controlled Burn Emissions, Carbon Sequestration, Hydrology, Pesticide and Fertilizer Impacts, Economics, Public Perception, Ethical and Aesthetic Context. Conference participants helped identify key gaps in the current knowledge base, and in define future research priorities.
The Natural Landscaping Alternative: An Annotated Slide Collection Native plants provide a beautiful, hardy, drought resistant, low maintenance landscape while benefiting the environment. This Annotated Slide Collection contains fifty slides selected for their ability to define natural landscaping and explain its benefits, to illustrate applications of natural landscaping, and to demonstrate installation and management techniques. The annotations corresponding to the slides are not intended to serve as a script but to provide background to assist in the development of a presentation. We hope that you find the slides and annotations helpful. View Slideshow[PDF 2.43Mb, 52pps]
North Branch Restoration Project Seed Book The North Branch Restoration Project is a volunteer organization working to restore and manage the few remaining savannas, woodlands, forests and prairies along the North Branch of the Chicago River in the Cook County Forest Preserves. The volunteers assist the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and other agencies in protecting and restoring native Illinois ecosystems. Through their hands-on work, the North Branch Restoration Project volunteers have developed this fabulous Seed Photo Project, tracking a variety of native plants from first flower to seed. Information on each plant includes details on when to pick the seeds. This is intended to guide seed harvesting efforts for restoration, but can also be used in your own yard. Remember to never pick seeds from the wild without permission from the landowner. We thank the North Branch Restoration Project for their generosity in sharing this work with us.
Sustainable Landscaping, The Hidden Impacts of Gardens View this power point presentation developed by Danielle Green of the Great Lakes National Program Office and Dan Welker of EPA Region 3. The colorful slides present information on the environmental impacts to air, water, land and biodiversity of traditional landscaping and offer alternatives such as using native plants in the landscape. This presentation was developed as part of the Smithsonian Institution's Horticultural Services Division winter in-service training program. It has also been adapted for presentation at various conferences around the country. View Slideshow[PDF 8.12Mb, 62pps]
By Bill Stonehouse | June 13, 2009 at 05:52 PM EDT | No Comments
LAUREN LIESS IS a 20-something-year-old wife & mom with my own interior design business. My design philosphy, "pure style," is based on keeping things simple, beautiful & fun.
By Bill Stonehouse | June 12, 2009 at 07:49 PM EDT | No Comments
Project Greenspace is a non-profit with a mission "...to preserve and enhance green space in our communities for today and future generations.” On their site they post:
No matter what the climate or situation, every homeowner can enjoy the environmental, economic and lifestyle benefits that come from caring from your lawn and landscape. Proper care of trees, grass and shrubs is surprisingly simple, and its rewards are numerous on both a personal and community level.
Here are five quick tips for maximizing the benefits of your green space: READ THEM
One that's recently grown up in downtown Portland is a commercial installation by Lango HansenLandscape Architectsof Portland in the courtyard at Hotel...
By Bill Stonehouse | June 11, 2009 at 11:56 PM EDT | No Comments
Landscape Strategies fromhttp://www.topos.de/
Landscape Strategies: People live in cultural landscapes; they change their environments to suit economic requirements or through the way they manage their affairs. In the process, they often exhibit a strong urge to shape things, creating completely new landscapes by means of landfill islands or interventions in the existing vegetation. Landscape strategies encompass both urban and rural landscapes, the latter often being in a state of gradual or sudden transition to becoming urban. Urban agriculture, urban villages and urban afforestation have thus become the catchwords of the new cultural landscape.
By Bill Stonehouse | June 07, 2009 at 11:49 AM EDT | No Comments
The Old Farmer's Almanac is one of the best resources on the planet for gardening information (and other information as well). Their Outdoor Planting Table for 2009 is a must-have and it is freely available to those who register freely on their site.
"The guide focused on reducing yard waste—how to prevent it and what to do with it. Ideas and activities called xeriscaping, grasscycling, mulching, and composting will be discussed. Also, the practice of using materials and products made from recycled resources will be described and we will show how this practice can benefit you while helping the environment. Finally, a listing of informational resources is provided so that you can continue building your waste reduction knowledge, saving money, and assisting your community."
The California Integrated Waste Management Board offers some helpful instructions.
"As the name implies, compost tea is produced by "steeping" healthy compost in water using some method of aeration. Compost tea is brewed from compost and a microbial food source additive, such as molasses, kelp, rock dust, and humic-fulvicacids."
A landscape can be designed from the beginning to reduce the amount of resources needed to maintain it and the amount of waste it produces. Each region of California has different resource conditions, such as available water, soil type, temperature ranges, and lighting. By designing a landscape in an appropriate manner, selecting compatible plants, and installing efficient irrigation systems, a balance can be achieved that fits both the aesthetic needs of the landowner or client, and the resource availability of the region.
Many times a landscape is "inherited"--it is already established and you are simply charged with maintaining it. A transition to a more resource-efficient landscape may be a possibility. However, long-term resource efficiency improves when you plan and prepare ahead of time.
By Bill Stonehouse | June 01, 2009 at 12:48 AM EDT | No Comments
The Link Exchange is a wealth of information and referral on the subject of native plants in California.
CNPLX is a resource for people interested in gardening with California native plants. This website will help you select locally appropriate native plants for any location in the state, and find out who sells them. For each plant that grows wild in California, there is a plant information pagethat shows
It is costly to live safely in the fire-prone hills of California. Control of chaparral is a major expense, and a hillside, whether landscaped with native shrubs or other ornamentals, requires maintenance that includes water, since few ornamental plants can survive on our normal rainfall. However, you can choose plants with drought-tolerant characteristics and those that require minimum maintenance.
CalPhotos is a collection of 207,779 photos of plants, animals, fossils, people, and landscapes from around the world. A variety of organizations and individuals have contributed photographs to CalPhotos. Please be aware that these various contributors maintain copyright and follow the usage guidelines provided with each image.
To look for photos, choose one or more of the options below and click on Search. The total number of photos for each category is shown in parentheses following the category name. You can also use the custom query form for advanced queries.
By Bill Stonehouse | May 31, 2009 at 11:00 PM EDT | No Comments
The PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories.
Plant of the Week
American black elderberrySambucus nigra L. ssp. canadensis (L.) R. Bolli Click on the ph