| Winter freeze fades, landscapers see sales grow
STOCKTON - Business is finally in full bloom for garden landscapers, as a freezing winter closes and spring blossoms. The demand for landscape installations rise each spring, area land scape designers say. And the recent cold snap that killed numerous plants like birds of paradise, kiffir lillies and philodendrons provided gardeners an opportunity to replace dead plants. "Contractors and home owners have been replacing things like crazy because of the frost," said Bill Snyder, a landscape architect and owner of The Garden Concepts of Bill Snyder in Stockton. Another thing: As home and commercial construction kicks into higher gear, landscaping businesses are trying to keep up, added Snyder. At the Morada home of Sue and Barry Maashoff, about a dozen dead oleander shrubs along a fence will be replaced by Creative Outdoor Environments, a Lathrop-based design and maintenance contractor.
Landscaping shouldn't be overlooked in home design
With great excitement, new-home builders thoughtfully choose flooring, hardware and trim to make indoor living spaces fit lifestyles. My observation has been the final process -- landscaping -- frequently receives the least attention because of burnout and budget strain. Julie Moir Messervy, award-winning author and landscape designer, says a home should be more than just the house: It is the whole property, and recognizing that is the first step to a successful design. Inviting the outdoors in Meservy, who will give a Yost Garden Lecture at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park Tuesday, draws upon her Japanese garden design experience when she seamlessly opens spaces from inside the home to the outdoors. Using architectural pieces to capitalize on views and creating outdoor rooms is only part of what make the spaces homey.
Gardening accessories as nice as the flowers
It's not easy to find women's gardening gloves and accessories that are as fashionable as they are functional. So last year, Kara Buttimer took the matter into her own hands and launched Angela's Garden. The Pennsylvania-based company, which is named after a business partner's mother, designs work gloves, tool totes, sun hats and pocket-happy half- and full-length aprons. Six feminine prints – faux Pucci, colorful stripes, black-and-white toile – add the style element, while machine-washable fabrics, including waterproof lambskin and SPF-37-treated cotton canvas, offer doses of durability. Adjustable hat-brim sizes, water-bottle cubbies and built-in terrycloth brow wipes are just a few other functional features. .
Unattended, garden costs can grow sky-high
Spring is in the air, along with countless advertisements from garden centers, lawn-care services, and hardware stores. It's easy -- take it from one who knows -- to spend so much on your garden that your per-tomato costs rival the highest gourmet market prices. But gardening can save you money, too, if you approach it in a smart way. There's some evidence that gardeners are doing just that: A record number of people are gardening, but they are cutting what they spend, according to the National Gardening Association. In 2005, the last year for which figures are available, the average gardening household spent $387 on lawn and garden activities -- 13 percent less than in 2004. Here's how to stretch your $387 as far as possible. Grow stuff that's expensive to buy.
Gardeners urged to use water wisdom
During the summer, when conservationists worry most about Utah's water resources, "Slow the Flow" commercials air around the clock.
Given spring's early start and the state's water woes, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District officials are not about to stand idle. The district is offering free landscaping classes to residents all over the Salt Lake Valley. The classes will teach how to design or redesign lawns with water conservation in mind.
"It is not really well-known on how to apply water-wise strategies correctly - specifically, how to irrigate and which plants are water-wise," says Clifton Smith, the district's garden manager.
Water-wise plants are sprouting in nurseries all over the valley. Many nurseries have a list of water-wise plants available.
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