Your Home Inside & Out

May 2024

home trends Magazine is published by the Daily Journal.

for editorial content, contact Amy May in the Daily Journal special publications department at 317-736-2726 or by email at amay@dailyjournal.net. for advertising content, contact the Daily Journal advertising department at 317736-2730.

All content © 2024 Daily Journal. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.s. copyright law. stock images provided by Adobe stock.

Lavender

By JENN GUTHRIE | PHOTO By ADOBE STOCK

»

Beautiful yard art doesn’t always have to translate to items of concrete, iron, plastic or wood. For many, perennial lavender adds a pop of color, steadfast reliability for years of enjoyment, and a fragrance that simply can’t be matched.

“Our yard art is our flowers,” says Tricia Wilson, owner of Dollie’s Farm in Franklin.

Lavender offers a variety of benefits that go well beyond its beauty, Wilson says. For one, it serves as a great mosquito repellent and deer retardant; both steer clear because they can’t stand the scent of the plant’s oil, Wilson says.

However, for humans, the benefits of this perennial herb are numerous.

“If you are looking to have a calming presence in your yard, try lavender,” Wilson says. “Just rubbing and smelling the lavender plant itself is a calming and relaxing experience.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, lavender helps with mood, anxiety, depression and with promoting restful sleep. There are also numerous culinary and practical uses for the plant, including in the kitchen and in health and beauty products. Lavender’s calming fragrance also offers benefits for our furry friends as its namesake linen sprays are quite popular for dog beds, Wilson says.

Growing lavender requires full sun and well-drained soil, Wilson says. Those with compacted soil should introduce gravel into the mix to facilitate proper drainage; especially since the plant is prone to root rot if it gets too much water.

“You are better to plant where you add stone in clay soil with compost,” she recommends. “Quite often, putting lavender where it will be well-drained — such as atop a hill above the other plants around it — it will do better.”

If planted in a bed that is regularly irrigated, lavender will not survive.

There are literally hundreds of lavender varieties, Wilson says, and her go-to is the English variety Munstead. Other varieties that do well in this area are Big Time Blue and Phenomenal, Wilson says.

Big Time Blue produces deep blue flowering spikes, grows vigorously, is strongly rooted and has the potential to grow to nearly two feet in height and width.

The hybrid Phenomenal is a perennial evergreen variety offering longer blooms that tolerate some heat and does well in some humid conditions.

Generally growing from seed or start can be a toss-up, however, with lavender, it is best to begin with a plant start purchased from a nursery, which usually offers better quality stock, Wilson recommends.

Germinating from seed can be frustrating at best, she adds. One of the reasons lavender plants starts can be a bit pricey is due to the herb’s germinations rates, which are among some of the lowest, Wilson says.

“Indiana winters are hard on lavender and if you don’t have a quality stock or if you are trying to grow English lavender it may not survive the winter,” Wilson says. “If we have winters that have

repetitive freeze/warm cycles lavender doesn’t survive.”

Fully matured lavender has the potential to reach 12 to 24 inches in height and is very low maintenance. It is important to do pruning twice a year, however, you do not want to shape or cut the plant in the middle of August prior to temperatures cooling with fall’s arrival, Wilson cautions.

In mid to late August, the plant should begin the process of storing up nutrients for the winter and, if it is cut, those natural resources are diverted to trying to grow again, Wilson adds.

It takes about two to three years to get a lavender crop from a plant, Wilson says.

“It will produce by the second year,” she says. “But many plants that are bought at box stores are force budded, so my recommendation is to trim off those buds year one. That way the plant is focused on growing and not producing nutrients to the bud.”

With proper care and maintenance, lavender is sure to offer beauty to any landscape for at least a decade, if not longer.

Invisible fencing is one option to keep your canines in the yard DON’t Let the DOgs OUt

By JENN GUTHRIE | PHOTOS By ADOBE STOCK

WWhether it be for the sake of aesthetics, convenience, or simply HOA rules, many dog owners are opting to install an invisible fence to keep their best friends safe while offering them room to run to their little heart’s content.

However, referring to an invisible fence as an electric fence is a bit of a misnomer, says Mike Pinnick, co-owner of Dog Guard of Central Indiana in Franklin.

“They aren’t electric,” Pinnick says. “It’s a big radio system.”

The way it works is a transmitter is usually mounted in the garage, and there’s a wire that is buried in the ground that acts as an antenna, Pinnick explains. The dog wears a receiver on its collar, and the receiver functions as a small radio.

The transmitter puts out a signal on the antenna – the wire – and when the dog gets close enough to the wire it will begin to hear a signal the transmitter plays, which is a beep that is followed by a shock if the dog doesn’t stop. There is no electricity going through the wire, Pinnick says, it is just a radio signal.

The shock itself is a static shock, like what happens when you walk barefoot across carpet and then grab someone’s hand. The shock startles you, but it doesn’t burn the skin. A stark difference from the shock one would receive from, say, putting a knife in an electrical outlet, which will cause harm and burn the skin.

“This isn’t that kind of shock,” Pinnick says. “There is no harm. The Humane Society and ASPCA both approve and endorse these types of systems because dogs can be outside running around and get good exercise rather than being caged or chained up.”

Continued on Page 9

Typically, a dog will get shocked two or three times during the initial training process and won’t get shocked again for the rest of its life, Pinnick adds.

The cost of an invisible fence typically starts around $1,600, which is a great savings compared to a chain-link fence installation that can cost five times that amount.

“A lot of neighborhoods have an HOA, and you can’t use the normal galvanized-looking chain-link fence,” Pinnick says. “Some have to be aluminum, which can be really expensive.”

From installation to the time a dog can run and enjoy its newfound freedom typically takes about one week from start to finish.

Like with any major project, once an invisible fence installer comes out, surveys the property and offers an estimate, they will call and get underground utilities marked, which takes a couple of days.

“From the time they give me the go-ahead, we can get going within a few days or a week at most,” Pinnick says.

Flags are placed around the perimeter where the wire is buried, Pinnick says.

and work your way around the perimeter,” he says. “Usually by the end of the first day, the dog will not want to walk up to the flags anymore.”

It is recommended owners do this for about five minutes at a time, at least two to three times a day, to help reinforce the good behavior.

“Dogs train easily,” Pinnick says. “Usually on the second or third day we will introduce

boundary again.

“We don’t ever want the dog walking through the wire, we want the dog to think it can’t get past the flags, which is part of the training,” Pinnick says. “We feel like it is better to shock them hard to begin with.”

Generally, the marker flags are considered an important part of the visual training for the dog and remain in place for a month as the dog acclimates to the boundaries.

Training the dog is quite simple, Pinnick says, and takes just a handful of days.

“You get the dog on leash and have someone kneeling down shaking the flags,” Pinnick says. “You let the dog start to walk toward the flag and a little bit before — maybe three or four feet from the flag — an audible beep will sound — and we can hear it, too.”

When the beep sounds, gently pull the dog back and say, “No, no, no.” Then, praise and love on the dog to let it know it did the right thing, which is to stay away from the flag.

“You skip a couple of flags and do it again

the dog to a correction/shock. You do the same things. Have someone shake the flag when the dog approaches it will get a shock.”

Pinnick admits it can be difficult to get the dog to go up to the flags at first, but it has to get shocked to know it is a barrier. They have to know that if they hear the beep or get shocked, they need to come back into the yard, he says.

The level of shock applied is dependent on the dog, but the initial shock used is typically pretty strong so that it not only gets the dog’s attention but makes such an impression the dog will likely not be inclined to test the

Property owners who aren’t too keen on burying a wire may opt for another option, such as a wireless GPS collar, like those offered by Halo.

According to the Halo website, this GPS-based option allows dog owners the ability to create a virtual fence that operates with the assistance of wireless technology accessible via a smart phone. All boundary information is stored in the collar, which can be customized to alert the dog via vibration, sound or static shock – like an invisible fence would. Though this option offers real-time location and activity tracking, it does require that owners work with the dog to train it to recognize the set boundaries, just as they would with a traditional invisible fencing option.

When deciding if an invisible fence is the best option for your furry friend, it’s best to do your homework, Pinnick recommends.

“I would talk to any friends you have that may have a system to get their feedback and assurance it is going to work,” Pinnick says.

“A lot of people think, ‘This won’t work, my dog is too tough.’ But any dog you can think of, it will work on them.”

“A lot of neighborhoods have an hOA, and you can’t use the normal galvanized-looking chain-link fence ... some have to be aluminum, which can be really expensive.”

Mike Pinnick, co-owner of Dog Guard of Central Indiana in Franklin

the best vegetables for novice gardeners eAsY veggIes

Growing fresh, healthy vegetables at home may not be as hard as it sounds. Novice gardeners just need good dirt, easy plants to grow, lots of sunshine and the right amount of water.

Once you’ve prepared your garden plot, select one or all of these vegetables that are among the easiest to grow.

By FAmILy FEATURES | PHOTO By ADOBE STOCK

1. Lettuce: Plant lettuce seeds directly into the garden or a pot then repeat every two weeks. It can be cut a few weeks after planting. some harvest lettuce by pulling it up — roots and all — but cutting a little off the top every few days can keep it growing until summer’s heat turns it too bitter.

2. Spinach: this vitamin-packed green is planted and harvested just like lettuce.

3. Cucumbers: Make several mounds of dirt near the edge of your garden and place two or three plants around the center of each. Cucumbers are notorious for growing vines that overtake other plants, so be vigilant about keeping them contained.

4. Squash: Like cucumbers, summer squash is planted on small mounds at the edges of a garden so their vines can be contained. Most varieties, such as yellow squash and zucchini, are quite prolific, and just a few plants can feed a large family all summer long.

5. Tomatoes: Purchase plants that grow best in your area from your local garden center. All plants should be staked or enclosed in tomato cages because successful plants produce an abundance of large, heavy fruit throughout the summer months.

6. Bell Peppers: Bell peppers are easiest to grow from plants. space them about 1 foot apart, then watch them take off with little care required. the only real trick to growing bell peppers is knowing when to harvest. If you’re growing red, orange or yellow varieties, they’ll start out green then turn color as soon as they ripen.

7. Carrots: Dig a long, shallow trench in soil that is free of rock. sprinkle the seeds along the row, cover lightly with topsoil and wait for the top of the carrot to pop through the soil. Once a bit of orange appears, pull and enjoy.

Your guide to children’s room design A sPACe fOR the LIttLes

By CATHy HOBBS

PHOTOS By TRIBUNE NEWS SERvICE

Fun and whimsical or thematic and festive? Children’s rooms can be a wonderful opportunity to stretch and layer design, as well as create a cohesive color story.

WHERE TO START

First, decide how you want the space to function and feel. Then, decide your “big idea.” A big idea can be a color direction, theme, selection of a key inspirational piece for the room or other foundational concept. This idea will help you create a clear roadmap to guide your design process.

DESIGN RECIPES DO’S

Sticker time!

Do consider adding colorful removable wall stickers.

Imagine it! Paint it!

Do paint a fabulous wall mural on a primary wall.

Shelve it!

Do add wall shelves. Fun idea: Use skateboards instead of traditional shelving.

CREATING A PLAN

Before making any purchases, it is important to create a design plan first. This should involve taking pen to paper, in a perfect world while reviewing a floor plan to understand and plan key aspects such as furniture layout and selection.

Key elements:

l Beds

l Bedding

l Area rugs

l Case goods

l Wall art/mirrors

l Accessories

Cathy Hobbs, based in New York City, is an Emmy Award-winning television host and a nationally known interior design home staging expert. Contact her at info@cathyhobbs.com or visit her website at cathyhobbs.com.

A Company »

Add functionality without sacrificing style CLAssY kItCheNs

By BRANDPOINT

»

As the heart of the home, you want your kitchen to reflect your style but also help you get the job done — whether that’s cooking, cleaning, entertaining or numerous other tasks. If your current kitchen is slowing you down, you may want to consider functionality upgrades.

Keep in mind, functionality does not equate to lackluster style. Expert designers look for upgrades that enhance the kitchen’s usability and appearance. This blend of fashion and function will help you create a kitchen that will truly stand out. Even if you can’t completely renovate the space, you can make strategic changes that make a big impact to your lifestyle. How do you decide where to invest time and money improving the function and style of the kitchen?

“Invest in products that are going to be the focus of the space or things you are using every day,” said Alex Yacavone, Kohler Design Studio manager.

For example, the sink is large and can be a focal point within the kitchen. By upgrading to a sink with a beautiful finish and thoughtful material, you’ll enhance style and function while elevating the overall aesthetic.

Yacavone recommends farmhouse kitchen sinks, like the Whitehaven sink in the color Truffle. This apronfront kitchen sink features a versatile farmhouse style that complements any decor. A large single basin accommodates large pots and pans, while the sloped bottom helps with draining and cleanup. Crafted from enameled cast iron, this sink resists chipping, cracking or burning for years of beauty and reliability.

Whether it’s a sink, faucet, lighting or appliance, once you decide which features to focus on, it’s time to research. With so many options available, this can feel overwhelm-

ing. Remember, you do not have to sacrifice style for functionality.

Yacavone’s advice: “The kitchen is a place where people gather, so it needs to be functional. The best way to not sacrifice style for function is to pick timeless styles and finishes to ground the space. Then you can add personal touches that showcase your unique style,” she said.

Finishes like chrome and polished nickel can feel elevated, but also complement a lot of different styles and colors. This allows you to play with tile and paint colors while knowing your metal finishes won’t clash.

For example, the Crue Touchless faucet in chrome blends function with classic styling. The silhouette — a simple arched spout and single-lever handle — offers a straightforward style that adapts to nearly any kitchen design.

Another noteworthy finish with staying power is French gold. The Purist faucet in vibrant French gold is a stunning faucet with a strong architectural form and simple-to-use features. The high-arch swing spout maneuvers easily around large cookware, while the side-lever handle controls temperature and flow.

Yacavone said warm colors like this have a connection with nature and are gaining popularity. These can make the kitchen feel calm and soft, evoking positive emotion in the space.

For personal touches that inject your own unique style, consider investing in a backsplash in graphic tiles or a favorite color. This showcases your personality and can make the room one of a kind.

When it comes to style and functionality in the kitchen, you don’t have to choose. With this expert insight and some strategic planning, you can update your kitchen and enjoy it for many years to come.

How to build an energy-efficient home gReeN IDeAs

By FAmILy FEATURES

»Whether it’s your primary objective or a secondary benefit, creating an energy-efficient living space is a smart choice for homeowners. Sustainable architecture and materials can help ensure you rely less on limited resources while reducing the cost of operating your home.

These green ideas range from relatively simple to major undertakings, but they all have one thing in common: energy-efficient living, which in turn results in lower energy bills.

Be mindful of electricity use. Monitoring your usage habits is a simple starting point when you want to move toward more energy-efficient living. Using less electricity during peak hours reduces the strain on your energy provider, which can help curb your monthly bill. Check with your utility provider to confirm what times of day they offer lower rates. Other tips include using natural light to your advantage and turning off lights and other electronics when they’re not in use.

Install energy-efficient windows. Even standard double-pane windows lose a great deal of energy in the average home. In the winter, they allow cold to seep in, while

in the warmer months, blazing sunlight can quickly elevate a room’s temperature. However, energy-efficient windows act as an effective barrier to both cold and heat. They can even protect your belongings from fading and damage caused by ultraviolet light. Newly installed windows also tend to have tighter, unblemished seals, addressing another common culprit of energy loss. If new windows are not in your budget, check your window and door perimeters and consider resealing them to prevent air leakage.

Opt for efficient appliances. Appliances may make modern life substantially easier, but they account for a significant share of a home’s energy usage. However, you can reduce how much they need by choosing an efficient model that uses 10-50% less power than less energy-conscious options. Not only do they help reduce greenhouse emissions and promote sustainable living, but some energy-efficient appliances also have lower maintenance requirements.

Boost insulation levels. Adequate insulation keeps heat in your home when it’s cold outdoors and prevents too much heat from seeping in when temperatures soar.

However, over time, loose-fill insulation (such as cellulose, fiberglass or mineral wool) can break down. It’s also common for homeowners to discover their homes were constructed with insulation that only met minimum standards at the time they were built, so there’s room for improvement. Consider adding insulation to commonly deficient areas like the attic, garage, basement and exterior walls.

Start with a solid foundation. Building a new home is a big investment, especially considering rising energy requirements and fuel costs. Relying on energy-efficient construction materials, like Nudura’s insulated concrete forms (ICFs), can provide homeowners nearly 60% energy savings compared to traditional building methods using wood. ICF construction results in less waste during the building process and also reduces the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling due to their continuous insulation, thermal mass and high R-value. The result is an airtight structure that enables building mechanical systems to heat, cool and ventilate more efficiently, creating a healthier living environment with a lower carbon footprint.

Winter 2023

Fall 2023