Home and Garden Guide Spring 2010

April 30, 2010

THE PRESS SPRING

E D I T I O N

Making your house a home

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t’s spring, the perfect time for projects that not only beautify your home, but make it a more pleasant place to live.

Inside the Press Spring Home & Garden Edition, you’ll find stories on irresistable irises, affordable home-grown greenery and stunning shade structures, plus a plethora of local merchants and service providers who’d like to help you make your home-andgarden dreams reality before the summer heat settles in.

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Irises unfurl low-maintenance loveliness RUTH ROBERTS

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hanks to a wet spring and unseasonably cool temperatures, Tony Dittmore’s irises

got a late start on their blooms this year. But that’s good news for those who haven’t yet made the trek out to the Brentwood Iris Garden and gazed on its three acres of irresistible irises.

“We were about two weeks behind this season because of the weather, and so we’ve got only about half the field in bloom right now,” said Dittmore, owner of the Payne Avenue property. “Last year this time I was pulling out the sprinklers, but not this season.”

Now through May, the Brentwood Iris Garden will be open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Groups as well as individuals are welcome to visit the garden for free, and this year – just in time for Mother’s Day – Dittmore is offering cut irises for $1 a stalk. Guests to the iris garden can buy a bouquet, shop for bulbs or simply come out and enjoy the continuous carpet of color.

“Our blooms are amazing this year

because the plants are so much bigger than last year,” said Dittmore. “We have been enjoying a great turnout from the public, which has been really fun. It’s nice to have return visitors, but it’s always nice to see new faces too.”

And while Dittmore’s garden is filled with more than 20,000 bulbs and 650 varieties, less ambitious gardeners can still create their own slice of horticultural heaven on a slightly smaller scale.

“Irises are relatively low maintenance and do well in a sunny spot in your yard,” said Dittmore. “They don’t require a lot of water and they get bigger and bigger every year. They’re very easy to grow.”

But the old adage about never putting a $10 plant in a $2 hole is true, said Dittmore, who added that the right combination of fertilizer is as important as anything when it comes to growing bright, beautiful blooms. When shopping for fertilizer, be sure to check the numbers on the outside of the box or bag. There are typically three numbers that represent three individual purposes – color, roots and overall condition.

“The three numbers mean up (growsee Irises page 4B

Photo by Rick Lemyre

Spring is in full bloom at the Brentwood Iris Garden. Each year owner Tony Dittmore invites the public to come and view the more than 650 varieties of irises on his Payne Avenue property. Hearty and easy to grow, irises are the perfect choice for first-time gardeners as well as veteran growers.

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APRIL 30, 2010

You can wander through more than 650 varieties of irises, some 20,000 bulbs in all, at the Brentwood Iris Garden.

MEMBER

Photo by Rick Lemyre

Irises from page 3B ing the color), down (establishing the roots) and all-around (the general health of the plant), and typically the higher the number the better,” said Dittmore, who uses a triple-15 special blend on his irises.

Whether potted or in the ground, iris bulbs should be planted in August to yield top results by April. Dittmore suggests fertilizing the bulbs one week after planting, and watering fairly heavily once a week for the first month. After that, watering every two weeks should suffice.

First-time as well as veteran gardeners can hop online to research the varieties of iris, get an idea of what they’re looking for and purchase bulbs as well.

“We have a large selection online,

but I always encourage people to come down and see the flower in person,” said Dittmore. “You can’t get the experience of what it’s really like without seeing its true size and shape and sticking your nose in a bloom and breathing in its scent. Some smell sweet and some not so sweet; the only way to know is to experience it first hand. Plus, coming out to the garden is a great way to meet your neighbors and enjoy some time outside. It’s hard to beat that.”

The Brentwood Iris Garden, located at 195 Payne Ave., is open now until the blooms are gone. For additional information, upcoming events or to order online, visit www.brentwoodirisgarden.com or call 925-595-3838.

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APRIL 30, 2010

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Plants and advice at prices you’ll DIG SAMIE HARTLEY

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s April showers give way to May flowers, now is the ideal time to start your own flower garden. But if you don’t have a

green thumb and are clueless about what it takes to make a garden flourish, Delta Informal Gardeners are here to help.

The society of East County gardeners known as DIG hosts a yearly plant sale where you’ll find everything from rose bushes to tomato plants. “You name it, we’ve got it,” said DIG Publicity Manager Jon Bergstrom. “We’ve got annuals such as marigolds, and we’ve got perennials, like petunias. We’ve got lots of flowers, but we’ve got some small trees and shrubs too. We’ve got some rose bushes. There’s really something for everyone. No matter how green your thumb is, we’ve got something to get you started.”

In keeping with the organization’s tradition for the past see DIG page 6B

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Photo courtesy of Delta Informal Gardeners

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DIG from page 5B 22 years, DIG’s 2010 plant sale takes place the day before Mother’s Day – this year, Saturday, May 8. Bergstrom said if you’re stumped on what to get mom on her big day, a plant is always a nice gift. Instead of a bouquet of flowers that will die within a week, a flowering plant is something that mom can plant in her yard and enjoy all season – if not all year round.

DIG’s annual plant sale features 5,000 plants on average, and while that seems like a lot, some people camp out at the greenhouse hours before the gates open to make sure they get the best selection.

“The plant sale is a popular event that brings out hundreds of people every year,” Bergstrom said. “Sometimes we’ve got people lined up as early as 5:30 in the morning waiting to get in – and we don’t even open the gates until 8:30. People come with wagons, ready to cart off a new selection of plants. It’s become a tradition for some people. People look forward to it every year.”

All plants sold at the event are grown

by DIG members, some of whom start propagating plants as early as September.

The plants are stored at the greenhouse at Shelly’s Garden, located on Chestnut Street in Brentwood between Sellers Avenue and the Byron Highway, where DIG members tend to them until the big day.

For those new to gardening, Bergstrom recommends an annual plant such as marigolds. These flowers last for one season up to a year, offering the grower “instant satisfaction.” Once you get the hang of growing,

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you can move on to perennials, which last for several years if cared for properly.

However, whether you’re a novice or a gardening wiz, Bergstrom warns growers that they’ll need to spend a few hours prior to planting, tending to East County’s “goodas-pavement” soil. The ground lacks proper nutrients, so Bergstrom suggests buying some potting soil to help nurture your new greenery.

Soil will also be sold at the plant sale.

Bergstrom also encourages new growers to have patience with their new plants. Once you remove the plant from the pot and put it in the ground, the plant may go into “transplant shock” and wilt slightly as it acclimates to its new home. Bergstrom said to keep watering the plant and it should come back to life within a week. But if you’re concerned about the plant’s status, you can always ask the experts. DIG Master Gardeners staff a booth at the Brentwood Farmers’ Market every Saturday, waiting on standby to answer all your gardening questions.

DIG members also host meetings on the fourth Monday of the month at Brentwood Methodist Church, 850 Second St., where they swap gardening tips and hear lectures from guest speakers. For more information about DIG, visit www.deltainformalgardeners. org.

The DIG Plant Sale runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Shelly’s Garden in Brentwood on May 8. Prices range from $1.50 for 1-gallon annuals and $2.50 for 1-gallon perennials to $5.50 for 5-gallon plants. Specialty garden items and succulents are individually priced.

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APRIL 30, 2010

HOME & GARDEN

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But at least one business, Sun Busters Patio Covers in Brentwood, has not only survived but thrived during the downturn.

The business had been located in Rio Vista, but a few years ago owner by Alan Lee moved to Brentwood, where most of his customers are located.

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APRIL 30, 2010

Sun Busters from page 7B from doing business in Brentwood since ’98,” said Lee. “And over the years we would get more people calling and wanting our services. Probably 65 percent of our business is referral from other customers we have built patio covers for over the years.

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Lee has more than 25 years of experience in the home-improvement business.

He got his start in the 1980s, when he had free time while stationed with the Navy in Pensacola, Fla., helping rebuild houses wrecked by hurricanes. That experience plus the skills and knowledge he gained as a parachute rigger in the Navy have been incorporated in his custom designs and ensure the strength of his structures beyond that specified by the manufacturer or building code.

One reason Lee hasn’t been affected by the recession is that he doesn’t subcontract out his work. “Subcontractors do not do as good a job as with me being the contractor with my own employees that I can supervise on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “In addition, we work with our customers to fit their financial budget – not what we want to sell them. We will discuss what their needs are and their budget and try to build them a patio cover that they can enjoy for the budget that they have.”

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Alan Lee, right, owner of Sun Busters Patio Covers, with his son Jason Elisavitis. or attached pergolas, trellis, lattice, insulated and louvered roof patio covers. Costs run about $10 per square foot. The average patio cover measures 12x20 feet for a total cost of $2,400. That’s cheaper than the prerecession rate of $14 per square foot. And Sun Busters currently offers an even better deal: a 12x18 lattice patio cover for $1,950.

Lee recommends getting three estimates or bids in order to benefit from the ideas and knowledge of various home improvement experts, and comparing the quality of the products and amount of experience they offer as well as the price.

Sun Busters bids are good for 12 to 18 months.

Sun Busters Patio Covers is located at 700 Harvest Park Drive, Suite F, in Brentwood. For more information, call 925-625-0120 or go online to www. sunbustersinc.com.

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