Special Features - Spring Home and Garden 2018

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Spring Home & Garden

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Spring Home & Garden

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DIY landscaping on a budget

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Creating an outdoor living space that you can enjoy is a daunting task for many homeowners.

Summers are short and Red Deerians have a limited time to enjoy their yards, but the investment in landscaping can be astronomical.

Here are some great ideas for how to spruce up your space affordably.

The key to remember, is think big picture and go for overall street appeal — decide what you want to be the overall effect of your outdoor space and spend the bulk of your budget on impact items, not filler.

DIY If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, the most obvious answer is to do the work yourself.

A lot of yard care equipment and even building tools can be rented from home improvement stores. You don’t have to buy (and then store) seasonal use equipment or hire out the work.

BOARDERS You can easily produce a polished effect by adding boarders around flower beds.

Cheaper landscaping border options to consider are simple plastic barriers, planting rocks, salvaged brick or found stones.

You can get endlessly creative with this in any landscape, creating an interesting space and drawing the eye through the yard.

A quick scroll through websites like Pinterest reveal a myriad of unique options. But, even if you’re looking for something more status-quo than using vintage saucers to line your lawn, lay your brick or stone with precision and attention to detail to give the appearance of professionalism.

CRUSHED STONE Utilizing crushed stone, garden rocks or mulch is one of the easiest backyard landscaping ideas you do on a budget.

Putting down sod or plants in a large area can add up,

Give your whole property a good spring cleaning. but you can fill a lot of space with inexpensive gravel.

Mulch lets you keep an organic feel to the space. You Designate a place for storing things out of sight, like the can mulch in bulk from landscaping wholesalers, to re- garage or a shed.

Stay on top of the maintenance by mowing, pruning, duce your costs.

If you don’t need a full load, offer to split it with your weeding and trimming, which are often the most noticeneighbour. You can also make your own mulch. If you able things about a yard. are removing a tree from the yard many companies will There are many ways to create a big impact without mulch the wood for you, or if you take it down yourself you spending a lot of money. You can transform your yard can rent a mulching machine and repurpose the wood. into the beautiful haven you imagine for hosting garden The City of Red Deer re-purposes all the mulch they col- parties and BBQs all summer long. lect from removing deadfall, in the landscaping around the city.

FENCING A great way to add street appeal to your home is to put up a stylish, modern fence.

You can use it in the front Monday - Friday 9:00am - 8:00pm yard as decor rather than a functional fence. If you put Saturday 9:00am - 6:00pm up small stretch across the Sunday 10:00am - 6:00pm front of your yard, the per foot cost can be higher Holiday Mon. 9:00am - 7:00pm than if you’re surrounding parklandgarden.ca the property.

The upscale barrier draws the eye in as a feature focal point. It breaks up the space and adds interest, creating an overall polished look.

CLEAN AND TIDY The first step you should take in your home improvement efforts and very best thing you can do make your yard look nice is least fun: cleaning up.

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Helpful tips for minimizing your yard work

BY MICHELLE FALK michelle.falk@reddeerexpress.com

Summers are short in Central Alberta and people want to make the most of them by enjoying their backyards, rather than doing chores.

The best way to cut down on the yard work is by planning ahead so you can minimize the time needed for maintenance, according to Ingrid Hainzmann, owner of Wolf’s Botanical in Lacombe, who has more than 30 years of experience in the industry.

One of the easiest ways to cut down on the time you spend weeding flowerbeds is to take preventative action before you plant.

Laying down landscape fabric is a good option to reduce the time spent weeding, without spraying chemicals on your grass that may have negative effects on children, pets and ground water.

You can’t eliminate the weeds entirely because the wind will still blow seeds on top, but they will be much easier to pull up.

It really cuts down on the number of weeds you get and drastically reduces the number of deep root weeds in your beds, according to Hainzmann.

Perennials also get top marks for reducing time on chores - they don’t need to be replanted, they are generally hardier in our harsh climate and they are drought resistant.

“You’re planting once and then they come up every year. With annuals, you have to do it all the time over and over.”

The first year, perennials need lots of water to make sure they set and are well established, but once they take they are fairly self-sufficient.

They are an excellent choice for homeowners who spend a lot of the summer out of town.

Here are some top pics for low maintenance, drought resistant perennials:Irises Bay lilies Asters: these are daisy-like perennials with starry-shaped flower heads. They have mostly yellow centres with petals in a variety of colours: white, red, pink, purple, lavender and blue. Height ranges from eight inches to eight ft.

Lavender Russian Sage. These look a bit like the herb, but have airy spires of small, purple-blue flowers on top of feathery, silver-green foliage along long stems. They can reach a height of four ft. and a spread of three ft.

Sedum. These have hand-sized clusters of very tiny starry-shaped, pink flowers with blue-green leaves that are often tinted purple. The foliage turns pink in winter.

Poppies Gaillardia - also known as Blanket Flower.

These are a part of the sunflower family and have a starry-shaped head with rich reds and yellows. They are native to North

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Aquilegia, more commonly known as Columbine or Granny’s Bonnet. These have spurred petals in a range of colours including purple, blue, deep red, peach, yellow and white. They grow 10 to 20 inches tall.

Alberta weather is temperamental to say the least and it’s both cheaper and better for the environment to not water your plants.

According to Hainzmann, most plants - including even shrubs and trees - will require additional watering.

The key is planting shrubs that do well in

the dry conditions of Central Alberta such as juniper, spiraea and potentilla.

Another thing to consider is that even right in the City, Red Deerians have trouble with unwanted visitors nibbling their flowers. An alternative to fencing and chicken wire is to select flower that deer don’t like.

Best picks include Ajuga or Ajuga Reptans, commonly known as Blue Bugle or Carpetweed, and Astilbe, also known as False Goat’s Beard and False Spirea.

continued to page 5 of Spring Home & Garden

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Wednesday, May 16, 2018 5

file photo

Minimizing your yard work continued from page 4 of Spring Home & Garden Bergenia, also commonly called Elephant Ear is also very commonly grown. The tiny white, varying shades of pink, or red flowers create clumps of blossoms.

This flowering plant has very large heart-shaped deep green leaves that can survive cooler temperatures turning red or bronze in the fall.

Purpurea is a a member of the sunflower family and native to North America, and can be found in the wild. It has a raised, rust coloured centre with daisy-like purple pedals.

Also, opting for more durable materials in your decorative landscapes will pay off in the end, because the maintenance of the materials is less effort, she said.

A concrete edge around the flowerbed like a brick or laying one or two rows of stone around the edge prevents you from running into your flowers when you mow but will withstand damage if it gets run over.

Plus it helps avoid damages like plastic edging getting cut up by the lawn mower blade or weed whacker.

Retaining walls can also provide shelter from the wind, which offer both a more comfortable place to entertain but also protects your flowerbeds.

Hainzmann suggests hanging junipers over a retaining wall to add an organic element to the stone.

“People are really into big rocks,” she said.

She added that a waved or warbled edge rather than straight is the current style in landscaping.

The moral of the story is to plan ahead and that investing up front pays off in the long run not only in the durability and appearance of your landscaping but in the hours you spend enjoying your yard instead of doing maintenance.

“Many people enjoy entertaining outdoors in our limited summers, and to have a retreat in your yard to share with friends and family is very enjoyable and relaxing.”

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Spring Home & Garden

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A closer look at edible and compact gardening

BY MICHELLE FALK michelle.falk@reddeerexpress.com

The backyard landscape is changing—it’s becoming edible.

Utilitarian is the latest vogue for green-thumbs.

As people become more conscious of what they’re eating and millennials start to buy homes, purely decorative is the way of yester-year and gone are the days of watering the grass.

“Edibles are extremely popular. We are seeing many more people, especially people of the younger generation wanting to grow their own groceries,” said Ayralea Lander, horticulturalist at Parkland Garden Centre, an eight-year veteran in the industry.

People are becoming more aware and interested in where their food comes from, she said.

Whether the diet is to help stay fit or avoid GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and pesticides, people care what they’re putting in their bodies and the effect it’s having on the environment.

Interested in growing your own groceries? Here are some ideas to get you started.

HOTTEST VEGGIES AROUND The hottest garden this season is literally the hottest thing you can get in the world: the Trinidad Scorpion Pepper.

This wrinkly little red fruit hits the top of the Scoville Heat scale measuring the pungency or spicy heat of peppers.

For those who know their chili peppers, it has a mean heat of more than 1.2 million SHUs. “We are anticipating that it will be fairly popular, people want to grow the hottest pepper you can find,” Lander said. The Garden Centre is stocking the Trinidad Scorpion for the first time this summer.

In previous years, the Ghost Pepper and Caroline Reaper— second and third on the SHU— have flown off the shelves before they could even grow fruit on them.

Sweet peppers are also popular especially because they can be grown in pots.

Parkland carries a Candy Cane Pepper, which is very high yielding and produces cream and greenstriped fruit that ripens to red.

BALCONY GARDEN You don’t have to have a big yard to try urban gardening.

“There are also options for the urban gardener living in an apartment,” said Lander, who has recommendations on specific varieties and ways to support your edibles in planters in your small space.

“Little Birdy Tomatoes Series is a very compact plant, great for patio planters and balconies,” she said.

Another very unique tomato the Centre has new this year has three varieties growing on one plant: Red Robin, Rosy Finch and Yellow Candy Cherry Tomato.

“People are pretty passionate about their tomatoes,” Lander laughs.

Parkland carries over 30 varieties, which is the most sold at any one location in Red Deer.

Thay also sell hanging baskets and patio bowls prepared with a variety of peas and beans.

She said beets continue to be popular and grow well in containers.

A unique variety to try this summer is the Albino Beets from Holland. Burpies Golden Beets maximize the space they take because both the root and the greens are tasty.

All beet leaves are edible but the Golden Beet leaves are tender and very tasty if harvested while they’re young. It will also continue to produce leaves if you pick carefully.

Chioggia beets have a good flavour fresh or pickled. They feature red and white concentric rings.

“They look great when you cut them open, almost like tree rings but in red and white,” Lander said.

She said even potatoes can be grown in a small space using easy harvest bags that have a special

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opening in the bottom so you can pull out baby potatoes.

If you have a small space that can support the weight you can even purchase a pop-up raised bed garden, Lander suggests.

You can set it anywhere and just add soil; this is ideal for renters who would rather not construct something more permanent.

FLOWERS Pansies, violas, nasturtiums, calendula, roses and begonias are a few of the edible flowers that are pretty in the yard and can dress up your food, too.

“There are people that come in wanting to plant a full edible garden, including flowers,” said Lander.

To use edible flowers as an elegant garnish, bake the pedals into short bread, lay them on top of cream cheese spread or freeze them into ice cubes.

Calendula recipes range from healing salves and oils to tasty culinary dishes.

Traditionally, the golden petals were used to flavor and color broths (hence its nickname ‘pot marigold’), butter and cheese.

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The dried petals even were used as a saffron substitute because they impart a rich golden color.

It can be used in vegetable dishes, egg salad, custards and puddings, herb butters, baked goods with grains and in mild-mannered soups.

There are endless reasons to transition your garden plot into a healthy, eco-friendly, edible landscape.

So, plant your favourite veggies and some you’ve never tried and enjoy every bite.

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Wednesday, May 16, 2018 7

What you need to know about superb lawn care

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BY MICHELLE FALK michelle.falk@reddeerexpress.com

Growing green grass isn’t rocket science, but depending on the year it can prove to be a challenging task in Central Alberta.

Many people who are working hard to keep their lawns nice are actually killing them.

Here are a few tips from lawn care experts from around the province worth putting your time, energy and money into if you want want your yard to be the envy of the street.

Should you invest in a spring clean-up package or go to the labour of doing it yourself?

The answer unfortunately is yes.

Spring clean-up packages from a lawn care company generally include power raking, aerating, power edging, mowing and trimming.

Spring clean-up done by the pros is an investment. If the bill is too high you can also rent the equipment from home improvement stores and do the work yourself if you’re so inclined.

A full spring clean-up does not necessarily need to be done every year, at a minimum it should be done every three years to keep your lawn alive.

What is power raking and why do it?

This will have the single most impressive impact on your lawn’s growth.

The purpose of power raking is to pull up all the dead grass around the base of the new growth that suffocates the roots from getting as much air and water as they need.

Removing this dead grass also improves the appearance.

Hiring a company to do power raking can be expensive, usually upwards of $200 for a spring clean-up package. You can rent power rakes from home improvement stores and do it yourself. Or if you’re really trying to keep costs down you can skip the gym that month and do it by hand, which is an enormous amount of work but is equally as effective.

This is done with a flat metal rake (not the fan shaped one for leaves).

Why aerate?

Pulling those little dirt plugs out is a valuable course to consider on an older home or when the ground has become very hard.

It gets air and water down to the roots to increase growth. This allows the roots to grow deeper meaning the grass will be more likely to survive dryer conditions.

You can hire a company or rent the equipment to do it yourself. The plugs that are pulled out can look unsightly for a while but a few rains and they will break down back into the lawn.

Power edging This is different from weed whacking, though they are often confused.

Power edging uses a special blade to cut a small gap between the lawn and the sidewalk, preventing over growth. It creates a very clean edge and makes your yard look polished and high-end.

This does take some specialized skill so most people hire it out, but you can also rent this equipment.

Weed whacking or whipper snipping This is trimming up those areas that are hard to reach around trees, under shrubs, along fences and walkways. Do weed whacking first and then mow, so that the mower picks up the clippings.

Weed whackers can be purchased inexpensively and for most homeowners it’s worth buying one.

Regular mowing In Central Alberta, depending on the rainfall, your lawn should to be mowed every week to two weeks. Over-mowing is a common mistake made by over attentive lawn enthusiasts - it causes the roots to burn and the grass dies unless it is in a fully shaded area.

Mow your lawn in a different direction each time, to maintain consistent growth and prevent lines.

Leave the clippings This can not be stressed enough, do not bag your lawn clippings.

It is counter-intuitive to bag clippings and then apply fertilizer, your lawn can get all the nutrients it needs from itself. If you do bag it at least put it in the City Green Cart.

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Lawns should not require fertilizer unless there is an issue with the soil, but sprinkling compost over them will be advantageous.

Watering Only water your lawn at night, in the late evening or the early morning is also okay if it is cool.

Leaving a sprinkler on your grass during the heat of the day wastes water because most of it evaporates before it soaks into the soil and can also burn the grass.

If you have power raked and aerated, your lawn will only need need minimal water.

Dog run Last but not least, nothing is worse for a lawn than your four-legged friend.

Building a simple dog run for her exclusive use is much cleaner and will save the grass or train your dog to only use a certain area. Both options will save you time with clean up, too.

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