March 2014 - Page 143 of 529 - Home Builder Developer, Interior Renovation and Design Home Builder Developer, Interior Renovation and Design

MASON CITY | There's still some seeding and landscaping to be done, but beyond that, Mother Nature will play a big part on when the new Mason City Dog Park officially opens.

"Hopefully in early June," said Tim Latham, a member of the citizens board that has been working for years to establish a dog park.

"We need to get some grass growing," he said.

Also, water hookups need to be put in, some utility poles need to be rerouted, and equipment for an agility area of the park needs to be installed, said Latham.

"Some of that can be done after the park is open, but we need to get the grass in there or it's just going to be a mudfest and people are going to be unhappy," he said.

Latham said the park will be divided into three areas: one for large dogs, one for small dogs, and one with the agility equipment -- an exercise area for the pets.

He said with the fence up and the gate unlocked, some residents have already been in the park with their dogs.

"But we're going to have to padlock it so we can get the seeding and landscaping done," said Latham. "We're probably looking at early June to open it to the public -- unless we have a monsoon spring."

The park is across from the city water plant on 13th Street Northeast, on land once occupied by homes that were demolished after the flood of June 2008.

The city donated the land and put up the fence at a cost of about $40,000. The citizens group has raised about $60,000 through various fundraisers, said Latham.

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June opening likely for new Mason City dog park

By BRAD WORRALMarch 22, 2014, 12:10 p.m.

BRAD Worrall's top goss behind the scenes of Border sports.

ABBEY Edwards and Tristan Williams will be cooling their heels this weekend rather than charging into battle in the ancient art of tent pegging.

The Border pair, Abbey originally from Corryong and now Wodonga, and Tristan from near Rutherglen, were to be part of a junior Australian team taking on Pakistan in Queensland.

But after just packing away the riding gear for the flight north on Wednesday, news came the contest was off.

It seems the visitors hadnt been able to get their visas.

Abbey, 18, says its a temporary setback.

Apparently when it all gets sorted out it will go ahead but at the moment we are not sure exactly when, she said.

Its not the first time the pair has carried the green and gold into an international game.

Both were part of an Australian team that played South Africa in 2012.

Originally posted here:
ONE WEEK AT A TIME: Visas, paddock games and a 'rousing' Happy Birthday

Dear Neil: Is there any way to keep wild persimmons from bearing fruit? We track the mess into our house, and they make the patio almost unusable.

A: Im often asked that question relative to fruiting mulberries, and unfortunately, the answer is about the same for both. There is no mechanical or chemical means of preventing or removing fruit before it becomes messy. While I dont want to be the executioner for what might otherwise be very nice trees, your only recourse short of removing them will be to sweep or blow them away daily (or more often). I wish I had a more satisfactory answer for you.

Dear Neil: My wife has seen an ad for a grass that says it was Bred in Texas to help save one of our most precious resources water! It says they will ship plugs to us, and that we will need to get ready for a green lawn in sun or in shade. What do you know about this grass? Are its claims true or just hype?

A: Ive rewritten my answer three times. I so want to caution you against believing extravagant claims. You do not want to buy turfgrass through the mail any more than you would want to buy new carpeting that way. Talk to a local sod vendor, and buy new turfgrass where you can see what youll be getting ahead of time. Buy it from someone who can refer you to a home where that grass has been growing for a year or two, so you can see how it is performing. Although its a different type of grass, the ad youre describing is very similar to the zoysia ads that have been running for many decades. This is not a grass that Im comfortable recommending to you.

Dear Neil: I have a constantly enlarging ring of dead grass in my lawn. I tried insecticides, and I replaced the grass, but the dead circular area continues to spread. Any idea what this might be and what can be done?

A: Ill give it my best shot, but I have to admit that without a photo and without even knowing what type of grass is involved, my shot is one taken in the dark. Im asked this same general question many times each year. When I delve into the details, I usually hear that there are trees involved, perhaps the side of the house and other things that are casting shade onto the grass. When its a circular area, that suggests to me that it might be the ground directly beneath a shade tree. As the tree gets larger, so does the shade pattern. Even St. Augustine, our most shade-tolerant grass, requires at least four to six hours of direct sunlight per day in the growing season. Without it, it thins and disappears. If you have a tree anywhere near the center of this dying area, shade is the issue and its time to plant a shade-tolerant groundcover such as mondograss or its big sister liriope, English ivy or even purple wintercreeper euonymus or Asian jasmine. I hope that helps.

Dear Neil: You mentioned a product that could be applied to pears to prevent fire blight. What was that and how it is applied?

A: Spray agricultural streptomycin onto the pears while they are in full bloom. That time has passed for most pears for this year, and with freeze damage to the pear flowers over so much of Texas, it would have been difficult to get it applied anyway. Bees carry the fire blight bacterium from an infected tree into the flowers of a healthy tree as they are pollinating the blooms. Thats why this spray must be made at the flowering time. Agricultural streptomycin is a specialty product that youll seldom see in national retail stores. Youre much better off buying through a local independent retail garden center or hardware store. They can order it for you if they dont already have it on hand.

Dear Neil: I need your advice on plant spacings. Let me know if any of these might be too close. A Natchez crape myrtle 7 feet from concrete piers under house and 8 feet from concrete stairs; a Choctaw pecan 23 feet from the piers and from the roofline; a Texas red oak 15 feet from concrete piers; a cedar elm 18 feet from the house and piers and 13 feet from a concrete porch and sidewalk; and a chinquapin oak 12 feet from a wood fence. I have no problems currently. Just thinking ahead.

A: Youve been busy measuring. Those distances sound quite adequate to me. I have several of those trees in similar settings, although mine are closer. Your best bet is to have a certified arborist check the trees every couple of years. Watch for roots that could cause damage to become obvious.

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No chemical, mechanical way of preventing fruit before it makes a mess

Aftermath of the house fire in the village of Battisford.

Matt Hunter Friday, March 21, 2014 1:48 PM

The owners of a home gutted in a devastating thatch fire are today trying to rebuild their lives.

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Annie Hand was alone in her dream cottage in Battisford, near Stowmarket, yesterday evening, oblivious to the fire that had started above her at about 4.50pm. It was only when one of her neighbours friends banged on the door that she got out and realised the nightmare that was developing around her.

She said: I was at home when it started, totally unaware that it was alight. The neighbour was banging on the door and said your house is on fire!

When I was outside I saw the thatch was alight below the chimney. I went round the back to get the dogs and it had already spread. It was clear it had been burning for a while.

Ms Hand was at the home, in Mill Road, waiting for her partner Ian Bell, who works in Hertfordshire for a logistics and freight firm, to return.

She said: He was coming off the A14 when the fire trucks came past and the bowsers - but thought they could not be for us. He then followed them up the road home.

Its the worst nightmare if you live in a thatch. You take the risk but you dont think its going to happen.

Continued here:
Video: Owners speak after their dream cottage in Battisford is destroyed in thatch fire