Bob Hyatt sets out one of his trains in his garden railroad. (Photo courtesy Carol Kagan)

When Bob Hyatt goes out into his back yard he can choose to tinker with the trains or manage the miniature landscape that goes in and around the loops of train track.

At an early age, his father gave him an American Flyer train followed by an HO scale set. "My grandmother used to take me to the switching yard in Allentown to watch the trains," Hyatt said.

Hyatt's career experience and Master Gardener training prepared him for giving both turf grass management and landscape gardening workshops.

For this Franklin County Master Gardener, his life-long interest in trains and pleasure in landscape gardening merged into his Clark's Knob Freestyle Garden Railroad at his home near Upper Strasburg.

This year for the first time, Hyatt will have a "Beginning Railroad Gardening" workshop on Saturday, June 28 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Participants will learn the "ins" and "outs" of this unique style of gardening at Hyatt's home on Shives Lane, Orrstown.

The workshop will provide information on starting a railroad garden as well as designing a layout and adding the finishing touches. (For details and registration, see Workshops on this page.)

The popularity of having train models follows the history of railroading as people sought to bring some of the excitement into their own homes and yards. Moving from large outdoor trains to small sized and toy indoor models, around 1970 trains began to be designed specifically for use outdoors rugged with the motor parts enclosed.

"It's not a cheap hobby," said Hyatt, who has been adding to his layout since 2002. He currently has about 400 feet of track in three loops and uses "G" gauge (1/29th scale) trains and brass track.

Deciding what kind of railroad garden is a first step. Some railways may just meander through the existing normal-sized plants in a yard or garden. Other railways are stationed at a village and may even have a theme such as the Old West or a logging or coal town.

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Lawn and garden: Railroad gardening picks up steam

Credit: San Diego County Water Authority

Above: A San Diego County yard after a water-wise yard makeover.

Aired 6/19/14 on KPBS Midday Edition.

San Diego County Water Authority Offering Classes For Low-Water Yard Makeovers

GUESTS

Carlos Michelon, principal water resources specialist with the San Diego County Water Authority

Nan Sterman, garden journalist and host of the KPBS show "A Growing Passion"

With California in an unprecedented drought, San Diego residents are being asked to limit outdoor watering this summer to three days a week.

The San Diego County Water Authority wants only overnight irrigation, and officials are urging residents to change their landscaping to reduce water use. But that's easier said than done.

What plants do you choose? What kind of water system will you need? Will your property still look good without that old water-guzzling lawn?

More here:
San Diegans Offered Ways To Save Water By Remaking Their Yards

June Yard of the Month winners Rickey Anderson and Julie Hansen of 4107 Saxony Circle have a backyard that blends into the adjoining Riverside Prairie Preserve. It's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.

"It's like a nature preserve in the backyard," Anderson said.

Anderson and Hansen, who live in Woodbury Heights, will often spot foxes, bobcats, turkeys, pheasants, raccoons, woodchucks, red tail hawks, eagles and other wildlife from their back door. They alsoreceive visits from birds, such as hummingbirds andorioles.

From the ridge, the homeowners can see Ponca State Park, Elk Point, Port Neal and other places of interest in the Siouxland area.

"It overlooks the Dakota Dunes development. It's an amazing view," said Hansen, an equipment operator for MidAmerican Energy.

The couple haveenjoyed thescenery for the past six years.It's what drew them to the property and made them decide to live there.

When Anderson and Hansenbought their home, they made several enhancements.They brought in rock, which they placed above the back wall, around their deck, and next to the house. They also built one of the berms.

Around the house they planted a variety of perennials including daylilies, barberry bushes, Royal Candles, fountain grass, an Oriental lilac tree, hostas and a red azalea bush. Under the white flowering crabtreetree in the front yardare Russian sage, daylilies, hostas, and knockout roses that the homeowners had to replant because of the cold winter. On the side of the house are dark purple irises that look like velvet, and in the backyard, around the deck, are lilac bushes and purple salvia.

In the back, on the wall, the homeowners put ina row of catmint, another perennial. It attracts a lot of bumblebees.

"Deer don't disturb it," said Anderson, who is retired from the postal service. "When you have wildlife, you have to work with them. They like to eat plants. They love geraniums, so you have to spray. Otherwise, there will be none left the next day."

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Yard of the Month connects to nature preserve

Andy and Vivian Walker look over some of the plants at their Woodland home Saturday, which was one of 10 featured during the city s third annual Water-Wise Landscape Tour. (JIM SMITH-DAILY DEMOCRAT)

The Walker's residence was one of 10 stops on the City of Woodland's third free Water-Wise Landscape Tour Saturday, offered to explore attractive, water-efficient landscapes.

"Water-wise landscapes not only reduce water consumption and reduce potential of pollution discharges into the storm water system, they can also beautify a home, lower maintenance, and provide welcome habitat for beneficial insects and birds," according to Wayne Blanchard, water conservation coordinator for the city's Public Works Department.

The Walker's agreed.

Andy and Vivian Walker look over some of the plants at their Woodland home Saturday, which was one of 10 featured during the city s third annual Water-Wise Landscape Tour. (JIM SMITH-DAILY DEMOCRAT)

Andy, a professor of viticulture at UC Davis, said the front yard of their home on the quiet cul de sac has gone through many iterations over the past decades, but its present mix is both attractive and water smart.

The couple have lived in the home for 24 years, and Andy said there was no definitive plan on how to go about building the yard itself.

"It's been a lot of work, and I'll work on it now every couple of months, putting in little bits and pieces," Walker explained as people started arriving to check out the home.

There were around 100 people who signed up for the tour this year, about the same as in previous years, city officials explained.

"During warm weather months residential customers with traditional lawn landscapes allocate, sometimes unknowingly, about 50 percent of their water use to landscape irrigation," Blanchard said earlier as a reason for the tour. "A properly designed water-wise landscape can easily cut outdoor water consumption in half during those warm months."

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3rd Annual Woodland Water-Wise Landscape Tour offers money-saving ideas

The soil that surrounds new houses in most production-built communities in the Washington area is of such poor quality that foresters and turf specialists call it dead soil.

How is that possible?

Before home construction begins, builders remove the topsoil and stockpile it to the side. When the house is completed, the topsoil is put back.

That provides some boost to a new yard, though not nearly enough, because all that stripping, stockpiling and respreading is disruptive. The topsoil is not remotely the same quality as what was there before, said Vincent Verweij, an urban forester with Arlington County Parks and Recreation.

But the biggest factor in the problem, Verweij said, is what happens to the subsoil after the topsoil has been removed.

The builder is legally required to stabilize the subsoil to ensure the stability of the foundation, basement floor slab and walls and the grading around the house, and he does this by compaction, he said. But the compaction degrades the soil quality, increases its acidity, kills microbes and significantly reduces the ability of the tree roots and other roots to take hold and have access to nutrients.

Although necessary, the compaction creates a type of soil so firm that experts call it hardpan. Mike Goatley, a turf specialist at Virginia Tech, said that trying to landscape in a yard with this type of subsoil is like trying to grow plant materials in concrete.

There is a solution, which requires a builder to take an additional step.

Typically, at the end of the job, a home builder engages a landscaping contractor to scarify, or lightly till, the surface of the compacted subsoil before spreading the stockpiled topsoil. Then the yard is sprayed with a mixture of water, green paper mulch, seed and straw. (In late fall or early spring, sod might be used instead.) The extra step would require the landscaping contractor to spread a two-inch layer of new compost and thoroughly rototill it to a depth of 4 to 5 inches before the spraying. To be effective, a high-quality compost from a reputable source, such as a local municipalitys compost-producing facility, must be used.

Breaking up the uppermost layer of subsoil greatly increases the soils ability to absorb rainwater, and adding the top-grade compost gives a huge boost to everything planted in the new yard.

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An extra step by home builders could lead to better yards

After you move into your new house and begin to think about selecting some trees for your yard, you may find this more challenging than you expect.

First, the neighbors may be closer than you realized when you chose a lot on an empty street with no houses on it, and this may change your tree-planting ideas altogether. A privacy screen of small evergreens for the side yards a feature you had never considered may become the first priority, with shade and ornamental trees to be planted later.

How could the proximity of the neighbors come as a surprise? The average lot size for a new house in the Washington area is a generous 7,200 square feet, with a width of 60 feet. But the houses built on these lots are big, occupying about 40 feet of that width. This leaves only about 10 feet for each side yard and 20 feet between you and your neighbors, said Dan Fulton of John Burns Real Estate Consulting in Reston, who has studied the Washington housing market for more than two decades.

The second challenge: You cant just go down to the big box store nursery and select a good screening tree. In a new-home community, you have to do some fact checking first.

The local homeowners association (HOA) may have rules on your landscaping choices, dictating not only acceptable tree species but also the height in some instances, including that of a living fence between side yards, said Rockville lawyer Thomas Schild, who represents condominium and homeowners associations in the Washington area. Most HOAs in Maryland and Virginia do not address this, but some do. For this reason, homeowners should check the HOA documents before developing any landscaping plans, he said.

Youll also have to locate the swales on your property because you cant plant trees or shrubs in them. A swale is a shallow ditch. In new home communities, they run across individual lots channeling rainwater into the storm sewer system. Swales are often so shallow that homeowners have no idea they are there, especially when the grading is so subtle the yard appears to be essentially flat. Despite its near invisibility, a swale serves a critical function. Legally you cannot plant anything in it that will impede the flow of water or affect a neighboring property.

The location of the swales will be indicated on the site plan of your lot, which your builder included in the documents he submitted to get a building permit for your house. If your builder is still active in your community, you should be able to get this information from his sales agent or someone in his construction trailer. If not, you may have to go the office where your builder applied for a permit to get a copy of your site plan.

Once you get the site plan and study it, youre likely to discover that a swale runs along one or both of your side-yard property lines (half of it is on your side and half on your neighbors), exactly where you envisioned a living fence of screening trees. You may still be able to implement this plan if the swale is narrow enough, said Jim Baish, a Frederick landscape architect and land planner who has designed the land-use plan for many new-home communities in the Washington area. For example, a 5-foot-wide swale down the middle of the 20-foot-wide area between houses would leave you 71/ 2 feet to work with, enough room for a row of small evergreens, he said.

Your site plan may also indicate a utility easement running across your front yard where underground lines for electricity, gas, cable and phone are buried, Baish said. The easement can be as wide as 15 feet from the curb toward your house; inside this area, a utility has the right to remove a tree if its roots are causing a problem. This is far less likely if you contact Miss Utility, a local service (District and Maryland, 800-257-7777; Virginia, 800-552-7001) that arranges for each utility to come and locate its lines, usually by spraying a different stripe across your lawn, so that you can factor this into your tree-planting decisions.

When youre finally ready to start selecting trees, youll discover that much of the advice has changed since you bought a tree for your old house 20 years ago. Back then, the emphasis was on ornamentals and bigger trees that looked good and were easy to maintain. The easy-to-maintain part is still true, but ecological and environmental considerations are the new starting point.

Original post:
How to select the proper trees for a new homes yard

Chantilly, VA (PRWEB) June 03, 2014

In May 2014, Saunders Landscape Supply saw high demand for their gravel and services, largely due to the wettest April on record. "The brutal winter we experienced in 2014 has created the need for rehabilitation of residential driveways," explains Don Saunders, owner of Saunders Landscape Supply. The increased precipitation earlier this spring led to deterioration and damage to driveways and home landscaping throughout the Virginia and Maryland area.

"The amount of snow and moisture deteriorated the driveways, and washed a lot of gravel away in many cases making it uneven," says Saunders. "People are applying a recoating of their gravel driveway after the damage this winter has caused."

The benefit of laying down new gravel goes beyond just the texture of the driveway. Gravel can also help to improve a yard's appearance. Homeowners often prefer gravel driveways because they are less expensive than asphalt and concrete, as well.

Driveways usually receive 57 bluestone, which is comprised of 3/14 inch pieces, or 21A, which is a mixture of stone dust and 57 bluestone. 57 bluestone is popular because the size of the stones allows for highly effective drainage. 21A, on the other hand, allows for greater compaction. When the driveway is more compacted and dense, it's less likely to shift and require maintenance.

Saunders Landscape Supply provides a variety of landscape services, and gravel has been a part of these offerings for the past 20 years. In addition to driveway gravel, they also sell river rock gravel, river wash gravel, and pea gravel, which can be used throughout the yard as a visually appealing part of garden landscaping. "A lot of people are spending time outdoors in the summer. The decorative gravel will improve the look of the yard, and provide a much better atmosphere," adds Saunders.

Saunders Landscape Supply has served residents of Virginia and Maryland since it was founded in 1994, and provides the materials that homeowners need for any lawn renovation or maintenance plan. The business is located at 14016 Sullyfield Circle in Chantilly, VA. For more information, call 703-764-4831, email marketing (at) saundersls (dot) com or visit saundersls.com.

Read more:
Saunders Landscape Supply Provides Relief to Homeowners With Damaged Driveways

Join the City of Woodland's free Water-Wise Landscape Tour on Saturday, June 7, to explore attractive, water-efficient landscapes.

"Water-wise landscapes not only reduce water consumption and reduce potential of pollution discharges into the storm water system, they can also beautify a home, lower maintenance, and provide welcome habitat for beneficial insects and birds," according to Wayne Blanchard, water conservation coordinator for the city's Public Works Department.

"During warm weather months residential customers with traditional lawn landscapes allocate, sometimes unknowingly, about 50 percent of their water use to landscape irrigation," Blanchard noted. "A properly designed water-wise landscape can easily cut outdoor water consumption in half during those warm months."

The tour includes 10 sites. The example landscapes represent a wide variety of settings, approaches, and features, including an excellent before-and-after example at 829 Lewis Ave., where owner Sandra Jennings-Jones was able to work around an existing redwood tree and a birch tree grove in this medium-sized front yard.

The landscaping incorporated a dry creek bed to reduce runoff, a flagstone walkway, mounded plantings of drought-tolerant plants, and a seating area for enjoying the results. Jennings-Jones stated. "After installing a water-wise garden, I spend less time maintaining the yard and more time enjoying the view."

Blanchard said the inspiration for the tour came from residents' interest in learning first-hand about successful water-wise landscaping in Woodland, including plant selections, designs and landscaping techniques.

The tour complements the city's recent how-to workshop series on low-water landscaping, Water Wise Wednesdays.

Blanchard stated, "We plan on offering this series again in 2015. The workshop has been well received the last three years and allows those on the verge of doing this sort of transformation an opportunity to study issues in more depth."

The Water-Wise Landscape Tour activities will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a registration event at the Woodland Community and Senior Center, 2001 East St. The registration event will include an alternative grass display, relevant literature, mow-strip planting plans for water- wise home landscapes, a presentation on providing for beneficial insects in a drought year, and an overview of the tour sites. The landscape tour guide book and maps will be available at the registration event.

The self-guided tour runs from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tour participants will have the opportunity to learn how owners removed existing plant material, prepared the sites, addressed challenges, and set up irrigation systems. Homeowners and/or Yolo County Master Gardener volunteers will be on site at the tour destinations to answer additional questions about the landscapes.

Read the rest here:
3rd Annual free Woodland Water-wise landscape tour

Incorporating carefully selected native plants into your garden is a great way to create a landscape that needs less water, fertilizer and pesticides and that also benefits native pollinators, such as bees, moths and hummingbirds. Many western native plants are adapted to strong sunlight, limited amounts of precipitation, soils low in organic matter and challenging winters. Even putting these benefits aside, many gardeners grow native plants to bring more of the natural landscape around them into their day-to-day lives.

As with all landscaping projects, youll first need to assess the conditions in your yard. Take a look at the amount of sunlight and wind you have, the kind of soil and available water. You can then start selecting plants you think will suit the environment. As you begin to research possible plants for your yard, remember that drought-tolerant plantsthose that will help you use less water in your landscapeare often adapted to full sun. If your yard is shady, you may need to look for plants that prefer a bit more water.

Also keep in mind that many western wildflowers are short-lived perennials. Many live for three to five years, during which they will often produce seed thatif given the chancewill grow into plants to replace their parents. Expect your yard to change a bit from one year to the next. Self-sown seedlings are great for expanding your plantings or passing along to friends.

Here are some plants you might consider trying in your yard. The descriptions are from the new booklet Plants with Altitude: Regionally Native Plants for Wyoming Gardens, co-written by myself, Amy Fluent with the Laramie Garden Club, Dorothy Tuthill and Brenna Marsicek with the University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute

Kelseys phlox or marsh phlox, Phlox kelseyi

This early bloomer is covered in glowing bright-purple flowers that hide its needle-like green foliage. It stands between 1 and 1.5 inches tall and is between 5 and 8 inches wide. It has a long bloom time (at least a month in many locations) and is less likely to suffer from winterburn than more common creeping phlox species (perhaps because it is so short). Its a great plant for the front of a garden bed. Phlox kelseyi is found in a few locations in Wyoming; the cultivar Lemhi Purple was originally collected in the Lemhi Mountains, which are near the southwest portion of the Montana-Idaho border. Lemhi Purple is becoming increasingly common in quality regional nurseries.

Rocky Mountain beardtongue, Penstemon strictus

Penstemon is the largest genus of wildflowers restricted to the new worldmostly north of Mexico. In Wyoming, there are more than 40 species, some broadly distributed and some restricted to very narrow ranges. They usually stand between 18 and 30 inches tall and are between 12 and 36 inches wide. Of the purple/blue penstemons, Rocky Mountain beardtongue is the species most commonly found at nurseries. (It is also easy to start from seed.) With tall spikes of blue-purple flowers and shiny dark green leaves, it is attractive in any garden and very attractive to pollinators, too. Like most penstemons, it has a short blooming seasontypically a month in summer. Also like most, it prefers dry soils. With excess water or too much shade, it can develop mildew on the leaves, and the root crowns may rot, especially if it goes into winter with wet feet. Rocky Mountain beardtongue can reseed aggressively, but cutting off the flower spikes after the blooms fade is an easy way to control this tendency.

Narrow-leaf coneflower, Echinacea angustifolia

These purple-flowered, hairy-leaved plants are tough, standing between one and two feet high and about 12 and 18 inches wide. Though shorter than the much more common purple coneflower, these plants are definitely more drought tolerant. Plants can be started from seed and should be transplanted when small; they are more difficult to transplant when larger because of their taproot. Plants start out a bit slowly and take a few years to bulk up in size. This plant can reseed a fair amount depending on conditions.

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Bring on variety when landscaping with native plants

Photo by Contributed photo

Scripps Newspapers Be sure to remove pets from yards being sprayed for ticks and fleas.

Even though were in a catastrophic drought, many people still try to maintain flower beds, shrubs, yards and trees. We need to make sure were not using anything that can be dangerous to our pets or at the very least be taking precautions to keep our pets safe. Planting new drought-resistant species in the yard can bring unfamiliar dangers into your pets environment.

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Pet columnist Katrena Mitchell can be reached at bcs4kat@aol.com.

2014 Times Record News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Protect pets from potential dangers of new landscape