Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Earth-Kind landscapes combine the best of organic and traditional gardening and landscaping principles. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Kathleen Phillips)

GEORGETOWN An Earth-Kind Landscape Design School will be held Jan. 31- Feb. 1 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office for Williamson County, 3151 S.E. Inner Loop, Suite A in Georgetown.

The school will take place from 6-9 p.m. on Jan. 31 and from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Feb. 1. It will consist of an in-depth classroom program, plus a personalized 30-minute landscape design consultation with a landscape professional, said Fred Hall, AgriLife Extension agent for Williamson County.

Earth-Kind landscaping uses research-proven techniques to provide maximum gardening and landscape enjoyment while preserving and protecting our environment, Hall said. The objective of Earth-Kind is to combine the best of organic and traditional gardening and landscaping principles to create a horticultural system that emphasizes water conservation, energy conservation, reduction of fertilizer and pesticide use and a reduction of yard wastes.

This program will be especially useful for homeowners in homeowner associations considering changing landscape requirements to be more water efficient, he said.

Lunch for Feb. 1 and refreshments are included in the $125 per-household registration. Per household refers to either one or two people living at the same address.

Dr. Steve George, professor and AgriLife Extension landscape specialist and creator of the Earth-Kind Environmental Landscape Management System, will be the programs lead instructor, Hall said. When the course is complete, attendees will have been given a wealth of landscape knowledge and will leave with a labeled working landscape plan for either their front or backyard.

Hall said potential attendees may wish to contact their local nursery or landscape professional to see if there are any tuition scholarships for this program.

There will also be an opportunity for an extended consultation on Feb. 2 with Dr. George, he said. Anyone interested is encouraged to ask about the fee for this consultation and the availability for this opportunity when they register.

Hall said each household will be required to bring a scale drawing of the landscape they wish to work with on the first evening of the school. Graph paper and an information packet will be provided when attendees register.

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Earth-Kind Landscape Design School slated Jan. 31-Feb. 1 in Georgetown

Pool PlantingGet a list of popular swimming pool plants

A well designed pool landscape doesn't eliminate plants because they are key to solving problems. Plants will screen off unattractive views or create privacy. Plants can ground a naturalistic pool to soften the rock work and make it appear more realistic. The integration of greenery of any kind is what turns a pool yard into a gorgeous landscape, particularly when foliage and flower colors are coordinated with the overall site palette.

Planting is essential to the fantasy backyard. The use of tropical appearing plants is what gives a grotto water feature the look of the South Pacific. For modern landscapes, plants are used in a wholly different way where their forms and textures are an artistic statement in high contrast against industrial materials choices.

Your pool won't exist in a vacuum. It's a vital part of the whole backyard where the landscape provides the perfect setting. This is why pool design is best done by a landscape architect who understands the big picture of site function and circulation so the pool is placed in the most optimal location.

"People are looking for creative solutions for their property," says Chris Cipriano of Cipriano Landscape Design in New Jersey. "The twenty by forty rectangular pool isn't in style any more. They want an enjoyable environment for themselves and their children. No longer holding the status of just a "swimming pool," yards now hold the capability of a private oasis retreat. Customary traveling vacations are limited in a busy family's schedule. This makes the most valuable entertainment place their home, which also makes safety and health facets especially significant."

"Early in the design process we work hard to establish our clients wants and needs through a detailed lifestyle survey. Luxury pools and spas are all about exceeding expectations and enhancing the lifestyle of a family. Our business model is designing and building the entire landscape and that's how we became the top company in our market."

It's important then to consider the landscape as a frame for your new pool. It should enhance pool design and solve problems at the same time. The hardscape will vary according to the style of your pool which can range from streamline modern to a fantasy rock and waterfall oasis.

RocksThe world of rock accents around pools is divided between artificial stone and natural stone. The difference is that natural stone must be hauled and set on site, and due to its weight the use of large boulders can present costly engineering challenges. This is why artificial pool boulder systems are growing in popularity because they are more adaptable to both the site and pool with many more options for you to choose from. What is key, however, is to design planting in association with this rock work to give it a realistic appearance and a solid foliage background for high contrast.

In southern California, Alderete Pools is an outstanding luxury pool builder. "Our specialty is artificial rock," says Shea Alderete. "Consumers think they want natural rock but the reality is that artificial can look like it really belongs there. It's hard to make natural rock blend in. We have twenty years of artificial rock experience and we've carved out a special niche. Anyone wanting a rock pool needs to find a contractor that has a lot of field experience. We're like fine art painters and we do our own style well."

Water featuresThe site and sound of falling water turns a static swimming pool into a beautiful fountain. Waterfalls are typically a part of naturalistic rock pools. For more contemporary or modern design, the more precise water feature is preferred with sheets of water specially illuminated with iridescent backgrounds that give them a sharp glassy beauty. A pool water feature should always be most visible from both the outdoor living spaces and from primary indoor rooms to make it beneficial in the off season too.

Link:
Pool Landscaping Ideas - Landscaping Network

Jan. 17, 2014, midnight

THE Albury Council is digging Thurgoona and its residents out of a giant hole that has been an eyesore for years.

THE Albury Council is digging Thurgoona and its residents out of a giant hole that has been an eyesore for years.

The Thurgoona pool will soon be gone, with work already started.

The council set aside $50,000 for the project in its 2009-10 budget, which was not enough.

So it now has $183,280 set aside to remove the pool, compact the soil and extensively landscape the area.

We are elated, absolutely thrilled. It has been a long time coming, Thurgoona Community Centre co-ordinator Sherylyne Moran said.

It gives us an area the community can use.

We want to turn the area into a barbecue and recreation area the community can use.

Concept plans show a community hall on the grounds near the neighbourhood house which would double in size.

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Good riddance to an ugly hole

Gov. Steve Beshear on Thursday announced a $400,000 grant to Kentucky Highlands Investment Corp. to spur economic growth in southeastern Kentucky.

The state made the grant so KHIC can take advantage of a $1.3 million matching grant from the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund in the U.S. Department of the Treasury. KHIC raised $900,000 privately and the state kicked in the rest. KHIC provides loans, equity investments and other assistance to southeastern Kentucky businesses.

The resulting $2.6 million loan pool is a component of an initiative to plan a better future for Eastern Kentucky called SOAR, or Shaping Our Appalachian Region. It was created by Beshear, U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Somerset, and other local and state leaders.

"Improving southeastern Kentucky's economic landscape is vital to the success of the entire state," Beshear said in a statement. "This region is in dire need of new businesses and more jobs, and these funds will go a long way toward encouraging innovation and putting eastern Kentuckians back to work. I'm proud to partner with local, state and federal officials to offer this support."

KHIC was formed in 1968 to stimulate growth and create employment opportunities in a nine-county region of southeastern Kentucky. KHIC now operates in 22 counties.

Excerpt from:
Beshear announces $2.6 million loan pool for southeastern Ky. businesses

By Susan Miller , last updated March 17, 2011

The main goal in landscaping a hill is preventing erosion. If the soil is not anchored with deep enough roots, the soil will wash away over time since water flows downhill. You can achieve this goal by choosing the right landscaping while keeping in mind how you want to use the hill.

Will you need to climb up and down your hill? If your hill has your boat dock and a lake at the bottom, the answer will be yes. This means you will need to embed stairs in the hill, such as huge railroad ties with a hand railing so you can get up and down the hill easily. Your soil type will determine whether the hill can support the railroad ties or other types of steps. Consult with a professional landscape architect, your local university extension or your local garden center to help determine what type of stairs will hold in your hill, or what must be done to secure them.

You will also need to make sure your soil type drains well and will provide the nutrients your plants will need. Before planting and landscaping, make any additions to the soil that are needed so your plants will flourish.

One easy way to prevent erosion on a hillside is to plant a hardy groundcover, like English ivy. Eventually, the ivy will completely cover the hill. You will have to clip it back from the stairs (if you have them) three or four times every growing season, but pruning ivy is much easier maintenance than mowing a hillside every week.

Terraced gardens edged in rocks in the hillside are a beautiful option and will also prevent erosion, but will require more maintenance. How much time you intend to spend gardening will help you decide how you want to landscape your hill.

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How to Landscape a Hill - Ask.com

Road access to kattakal... and land clearing being done by JCB

By: Bijoy Krishnan

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Road access to kattakal... and land clearing being done by JCB - Video

SitePrep Land Clearing - Powerful Teamwork
Watch our skilled and experienced operators clear land with our powerful mulchers, chippers, grinders and land clearing equipment.

By: SitePrep Professionals

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SitePrep Land Clearing - Powerful Teamwork - Video

SitePrep Land Clearing Teamwork
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SitePrep Land Clearing Teamwork - Video

Supertrak SK140 RTL
The Supertrak SK140 RTL is used for land clearing, vegetation management, right-of-way maintenance, rock grinding and snow removal.

By: HighVelocityComm

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Supertrak SK140 RTL - Video

Public private partners come to potoroo rescue Video Reuters
Visit: http://uk.reuters.com/video/2013/08/25/public-private-partners-come-to-potoroo?videoId=258206777 Australia #39;s threatened long-nosed potoroo may be maki...

By: NCTV7

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Public private partners come to potoroo rescue Video Reuters - Video