By Nara Schoenberg Print Article

(MCT)In theory, containers overflowing with flowers, herbs, grasses and vegetables can transform balconies and porches into green and leafy garden retreats.

In reality, the effect is often closer to Patio dotted with random plants.

We asked Fern Richardson, author of the new book, Small-Space Container Gardens: Transform Your Balcony, Porch or Patio With Fruits, Flowers, Foliage & Herbs (Timber Press), how to bridge the gap. Her book offers suggestions ranging from upcycling and plant repetitions to spray-painting mismatched containers.

It seems like it would be hard or it would look tacky, but spray paint and a stencil kit is a really cool way to add continuity, Richardson says.

Among your other options:

Try plant patterns. Add unity to your collection by putting the same plant in a series of pots.

It doesnt even have to be one of the main plants, Richardson says. It can just be one of the small annuals that you change out every season. Putting the same little violas through the whole grouping can make them look like they belong together and you planned it even if you didnt.

Zinnias would also work for this purpose, or marigolds.

Upcycle. Ransack the recycling bin, garage and kitchen for cool containers that will add interest and novelty to your collection. Richardsons book includes a charming mini-barbecue project, but she also sees potential in red wagons, colanders, birdbaths and soda cans especially if the barbecue has been used, you probably want to clean it pretty thoroughly. There could be charcoal glued on, she says. But you know, a lot of times metal is a pretty nonreactive material as far as leaching stuff into the soil. If youre worried about it, you can always put in a plastic nursery pot and hide it down in the soil and plant all your plants directly in the nursery pot, so that way you get the fun look of upcycling something without the concern of What the heck is in this thing?

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Container Gardens Done Right: Make Your Garden Look Polished and Planned

BERNARDSVILLE Plans to enclose two front porches and pursue interior renovations at The Station Pub & Grub at 45 Mine Brook Road received approval from the Planning Board on Thursday, March 22.

In response to complaints from two neighbors about noise, the board asked for an extra front enclosure that would put a second set of doors between the dining facilities and the outside.

The changes inside would expand the bar from a corner into more of a square, make the seating areas more open, add ceiling-to-floor windows, new lighting, and more sound-absorbent floor and ceiling materials, according to Harold J. Imperatore of Hampshire Destination Properties, which owns the site.

Hopefully it will be more inviting, he said.

Construction is planned for the summer and will probably close the establishment for a short period of time but nothing more than a few weeks, he added.

The Stations faade now features a vestibule in the middle and open porches on either side behind columns.

Project architect Philip Kennedy-Grant said the vestibule would be removed, with that area and the two front porches to be enclosed by a fundamentally glass wall that would stand behind the columns.

The move would enclose 14 dining seats but total seating would remain at 119. The Station, which presently has 89 seats inside and 30 outside, would instead have 103 inside and 16 outside.

An initial request to add 20 extra seats was dropped.

Imperatore, who also runs The Bernards Inn, told the board he did not like The Stations interior look. He characterized the lighting as horrible and the acoustics as poor, and saw a need for a full bar, which would be enlarged from 12 seats now to 29.

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Historic Station Pub in Bernardsville gets green light for upgrades

The fence around Highlands' softball field has had little significance to the home team in recent years.

In fact, there probably were games when the Golden Rams forgot the barrier was even in the outfield.

"When I coached here for the first 10 or 12 years, we hardly ever saw a home run go over the fence," Highlands coach Mike Zendarski said. "Now, they're going out all over the place."

Could be the moved-back mound, spring-effect bats or wind-aided fly balls over short porches. Whatever the case, home runs have been plentiful early in the Alle-Kiski softball season.

Highlands homered three times in its season opener and twice in its second game. Sophomore shortstop Cassidy Runyan has two homers, including a grand slam. And she's the leadoff hitter.

"There have been balls hitting fences, too," Zendarski said. "There have been a lot close to going out, too. It's nice to see more offense back in the game. I mean, we had four (homers) in two games. I think we had three all of last year."

On Opening Day alone, local teams hit seven homers including two each by Valley and Knoch. Both of Valley's came from Katrina George. Knoch's were by Karson Simpson and Mikayla Moretti.

Knoch added two more homers Wednesday by two different hitters: Bethany Hay and Codi Reed. Burrell and Freeport each hit two homers against each other yesterday.

"Perennial home run hitters are hitting the ball again," Knoch coach Tim Knappenberger said. "They work on batting the whole year. They play travel ball, and the proof is in the pudding.

"After we ended the season last year, they played summer ball, then fall ball as an entire team, then at least hit once a week all winter. They are more prepared at the beginning of the season than when you're just getting into the gym after basketball season."

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Homers are up early in area softball season

Submitted March 29, 2012 1:24PM

With warm temperatures, container gardening can start, too. Clean them up first before replacing soil and planting. | Submitted by Heather Prince

storyidforme: 28134088 tmspicid: 10172426 fileheaderid: 4686488

Updated: March 29, 2012 6:06PM

Spring flowers are bursting into bloom with the recent warm temperatures.

Its time to plant containers and decorate porches and patios.

Take a few minutes to prepare your containers for another season before planting colorful spring flowers.

Container designers at The Growing Place recommend that, if your container has been outside, empty it and compost the used potting soil to minimize the chances for disease and insect problems. Inspect each container for damage, including cracks and chips. Using a mild bleach solution, about one part bleach to 10 parts water, and a firm brush, to thoroughly scrub pots inside and out to clean and disinfect.

Place your pot in the desired spot before refilling with new potting soil so you dont have to try to move a heavy container. Make sure it is raised off the ground for drainage, using pot lifters, bricks or caddies. Think about adding new pots and rearranging your containers to freshen your look. When choosing flowers to plant, look for those with lots of buds, rather than lots of blossoms. You might not have instant color, but youll be rewarded with a longer stretch of bloom time.

Garden Tip is courtesy of Heather Prince, The Growing Place, 630-355-4000, http://www.thegrowingplace.com

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Garden Tip: Clean up containers this spring

CARLSBAD (CNS) - A pair of men suspected in a series of thefts from front porches, residences and vehicles throughout Carlsbad were behind bars Thursday.

Police said there could be as many as 19 cases in the series that spanned the first three months of the year.

Two suspects, 28-year-old James Dorman and parolee Victor Alaniz, 34, were arrested Tuesday after a resident called police just before noon to report suspicious activity at a neighbor's vacant house on Calle San Blas, according to Carlsbad police spokeswoman Jodee Sasway. The two suspects allegedly rang the bell then proceeded through the yard's side gate and entered the residence from the back, she said.

Officers arrived and arrested the two men, Sasway said.

Police also received a previous report that the same two men were allegedly taking property from the bed of a truck parked at a hotel on Grand Avenue, Sasway said.

Detectives on Jan. 11 arrested nine suspects though to be involved with the series at Dorman's residence on Phillips Way in Vista, Sasway said.

Oceanside police on Monday arrested Saul Tellez, 41, on suspicion of similar crimes, Sasway said.

Continued here:
Police arrest two suspects in Carlsbad burglary series

by Micki Cottle The Sampson Independent

In my grandmothers time, and even in my younger days, porch visiting was an almost daily social event.

In the Carolina countryside, where summers are hot and long, no respectable house was considered complete without a porch. They were almost as necessary as the kitchen and for a considerable part of the year became the outdoor apartment for family and friends.

Porches were at the center of family life. They provided relaxation, and social interaction even after the darkening shadows inked the landscape. Somehow they marked the endings and beginnings of daily life. And for more times than I can remember, it seems the whole family was there, and now I can see we were all just passing through.

Most porches were pretty simple, no architectural wonders, just reflections of the folks that lived their simple lives there. Rocking chairs lined up in a companionable row begged a body to stop and sit a spell. Pots of flowers; I remember, Three Sisters Roses bowls of Sweet William, placed here and there, replenished on Saturday, always fresh for Sunday and the new week: ready to welcome the preacher in his fine hat, with his dainty wife and handfuls of little ones, tagging right along. This was real. I close my eyes and even now I can see the sunlight fading on the weathered old porch boards, and the shadows that tugged gently over the garden.

The smells of honeysuckle vines growing in abandoned splendor around the sides of the porch, wrapped us in fragrance. Laughter and conversation, musty old pipes and excited children, they were all there.

When I visited, it seemed those moody southern nights stretched on forever: until exhausted with that sweet exhaustion only childhood offers, we stumbled, sleepily and contentedly to our feather beds to rest under the eye of the moon.

I guess there were a few very elaborate porches, sporting fancy wicker rockers and dazzling lounging sofas. Grandmas was perfect, from my point of view. But, it certainly wasnt fancy. Her rocking chairs were well worn, having rocked from the cradle to the grave more often than not. There were two extra large tables at one end. And they were big enough to accommodate any amount of regular or unexpected family or friends for a good Country Feed.

There were always baskets of something, butterbeans or peas; something waiting to be shelled or shucked mostly by Granny, but anybody who dropped by was welcome. Someone just handed you a pan and you started shelling.

Old fashion oil-lamps guided us into the night, shining their soft glow, accentuating the faces of the young and old alike. Surrounded by the sounds of night, there was a familiar closeness as we embraced the lengthening shadows that fell like gentle fingers across the old porch. We were home. And was there ever a glass of tea or lemonade that tasted better? And was there ever to be again that complete gentle happiness and security that held us so easily in this circle of light?

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In the Sweet Bye and Bye

The weather is not the only thing that shocked Burlington neighborhoods last week. Saturday, in particular, was full of summer excitement as students came out to backyards, porches and even the streets in celebration of Saint Patricks Day.

Temperatures reached in the 80s in the past week. For some students, spring can be one of the best times of the year. For Burlington residents, however, it can be one of the worst, according to police records, which show increased noise violations and drinking tickets during these months.

Hundreds of students gathered in backyards, on porches, and even some in the streets to celebrate the Irish holiday, which Burlington residents have deemed one of the worst Saint Patricks Days in recent years, according to multiple Front Porch Forum posts. Front Porch Forum is a free online service whose mission is to help communities become better connected through posts that recognize community issues or just want to spread word about upcoming events. Besides talk of how rowdy students got on Saturday, members of the website use it to create awareness about other issues and even propose solutions.

Community meetings are held in multiple wards to address the on-going conflict between students and neighbors regarding noise and general neighborly responsibilities. Of course, for many students who celebrated the holiday on Saturday neighborly respect and responsibility was non apparent.

The Burlington community has always had to deal with certain holidays where students tend to get a little out of control, Saint Patricks Day being one of the worst. The warm weather and the fact that the holiday was over the weekend this year only contributed to the debauchery that took place, said Julian Golfarini, SGA President.

Debauchery downtown, you can change that culture a little bit, but trying to stop people from drinking on Saint Patricks Day, in my opinion, is a cultural thing, if you go to any college campus in America you will find people drinking on Saint Patricks Day, said Golfarini.

Drinking holidays however do not spark the concerns that many Burlington residents have regarding young people, but the ever-continuing cycle of new students moving downtown and the ways in which these new students contribute to the community. Once people start drinking; things can get out of hand quickly and there is a liability both to the leaseholds and the landlords. Overall, I think respect is key...respect your privilege to live off campus, respect the laws re: noise and fireworks, respect your neighbors, respect your home, respect yourself not to get wasted and put yourself at risk said Ann Lang, a Burlington resident.

Gail Shampnois, a member of the Department of Student and Community Relations and leader of the Community Coalition, believes that students have the power to get involved and better their communities. Shampnois, along with the SGA, set up a cleaning crew of students that went out on Sunday following Saint Patricks Day, to help clean up some of the destruction. Broken glass from car windows and beer bottles covered streets and sidewalks. Beer cans and other trash was spewed around town. The group of students that helped out was about 30-40, said Golfarini.

What Shampnois and Golfarini agree on is that students need to play a more responsible role in their communities. Its getting all the partners to the table to create social capital said Shampnois, students, residents, landlords, and the police department, all need to come together in order to make a difference.

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Burlington recovers from Saint Patricks Day

NEW YORK, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its 164-year history of offering the Best, the Only and the Unexpected, Hammacher Schlemmer introduces The Cordless Motion Activated Light, an outdoor floodlight that provides instant illumination without requiring hardwiring.

The battery powered light sets up anywhere to illuminate porches, walkways, or doorways when it detects motion within 25' and across the 100 degreedetection zone. Six 100,000-hour-rated LEDs produce glare-free light with broad coverage using a built-in reflector plate, providing a wide-angle beam similar to a floodlight.

"The Cordless Motion Activated Light provides reliable light only when it's needed and sets up any place without requiring an electrician or unsightly power cords," explained Hammacher Schlemmer's General Manager Fred Berns.

The Cordless Motion Activated Light mounts to a wall or fence with the included bracket and screws, and it can be tilted and rotated for a preferred light-projection angle.

The light remains lit for 30 seconds after no motion is detected, the internal photocell prevents illumination during daylight, and it is powered by four C batteries (not included) that provide up to 18,000, 30-second illuminations.

The Cordless Motion Activated Light is available from Hammacher Schlemmer for $39.95. For more information about this product, please visit http://www.hammacher.com/75782 or contact Trish Hammond at (847) 581-8987 or via e-mail at pr@hammacher.com.

About Hammacher Schlemmer Hammacher Schlemmer is America's longest running catalog, offering the Best, the Only and the Unexpected since 1848. The company provides unique products that solve problems or represent the only one of their kind, backing all products with The Hammacher Schlemmer Lifetime Guarantee. Hammacher Schlemmer's innovative offerings are available through its catalog, website, and its famed landmark store on East 57th Street in New York City.

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Hammacher Schlemmer Introduces The Cordless Motion Activated Light

Last week, more than 300 area Boys Scouts and Cub Scouts hung empty plastic sacks on doorknobs and porches, with hopes the owners would be kind enough to fill those bags with food for the annual Scouting for Food drive.

By noon Saturday, those porches were picked clean after the Scouts gathered the food and delivered it to 17 food pantries and charity organizations in Des Moines, Henry and Louisa counties in Iowa and Henderson County in Illinois.

According to Monte Smith, cubmaster of Cub Scout Pack 71 out of Danville and New London, this was the most productive year yet.

"It went really good. We had the best drive we've ever had," he said.

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"Last year, we picked up 400 items. Each year, we get a little bigger and bigger," Smith said. "We're pretty proud of them."

Each pack and troop was given a specific area to cover, though some of the groups teamed up so they could cover a bigger area. Boy Scout Troop 214 and Cub Scout Pack 14 were in charge of recovering food from West Burlington, and Cubmaster Mark Moore reported it was a smashing success.

"We had 25 boys, and they were able to get more than 1,000 items," Moore said. "We were right on target."

The total number of food items won't officially be tallied for a couple of weeks, but Scouting for Food chairwoman Kathy Boyle said the combined efforts of the Shoquoquon District of the Mississippi Valley Council for the Boy Scouts of America has brought in thousands of food items each year.

"Service to one's community is one of Scouting's most valuable lessons," she said. "Each year, Scouts collect close to 15,000 food items within our four-county area. Seventeen local food pantries and shelters are able to replenish their supplies."

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Scouting for Food fills up local food pantries

LADERA RANCH A Westminster man is out on bail Friday morning after being arrested for the second time in five months on suspicion of stealing parcels from people's front porches.

At 5:05 p.m. Monday, a man called police to say he was on Antonio Parkway in Ladera Ranch following someone in a green Toyota Camry who had just stolen a package off his porch.

Tien Kim Vu, 37, of Westminster.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IRVINE POLICE DEPARTMENT

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The man followed the suspect, described as an Asian male in his 30s with dark hair and glasses, as he turned onto Avendale Boulevard, Sklar Street and Ranunculus Street, which is a dead end.

The suspect turned around and made his way back to Antonio Parkway, and headed toward Crown Valley Parkway. Deputies had arrived by that time and pulled over the Camry into an Arco gas station parking lot.

Deputies found six UPS packages in the Camry, which was being driven by Tien Kim Vu. Deputies arrested Vu, 37, and he was charged with six misdemeanor counts of petty theft and one felony count of receiving stolen property.

Vu also faces an enhancement felony charge of committing a secondary offense while released from custody on another case. Vu was arrested last fall by Irvine Police, who found more than 150 packages in his home and car, according to an Irvine Police Department press release.

An officer had been tracking a series of thefts reported by residents in north Irvine, and twice the officer received information about a suspicious looking vehicle in the area near where the thefts occurred. On Oct. 27, the officer spotted the vehicle and saw Vu placing a package onto the passenger seat of the car, then getting in and driving away.

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Man arrested for second time in parcel thefts