Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Once upon a time, a concrete slab, a charcoal grill, and maybe a beer-bottle opener mounted on a nearby tree was considered a pretty fancy outdoor entertainment area.

No more.

These days, outdoor room design is limited only by imagination and budget.

Ive been in the industry 30 years, and weve really seen a change in just the last five years in the amount of products and options for outdoor rooms, said Matt Medlock, account manager and designer at Ryans Landscaping in Dublin.

People want to be outside, and theyre thinking about more than just a patio with a grill and a table, Medlock said.

Last summer, Carolyn and Thomas White of the North Side upgraded a deck they had built 30 years ago. The old deck was showing its age and wasnt providing the couple, who are now in their 70s, with the outdoor experience they wanted.

We wanted a space where we could really enjoy our backyard, watch the birds and the deer, Carolyn White said.

Their aging wooden deck was replaced with a multilevel patio made with decorative pavers. The patio is accented with a circular half-wall seating area with fire table and topped by a pergola; a decorative fish pond with waterfall; lovely landscape plantings; and huge natural stone steps leading down into their expansive, wooded backyard. Matching paver paths lead to other outdoor areas, including a side courtyard with an outdoor pizza oven.

Now we find ourselves in the outdoor rooms all the time, Carolyn White said.

My husband bundles up every morning and takes his coffee out back. I dont like cool weather, let alone cold weather, but with our new fire table we can sit out even on cool evenings, she said. Now we love watching the deer frolic and play their reindeer games.

The outdoor work, including landscaping, cost about $35,000, Carolyn White said.

It was money well spent, she said.

Dave Lindsay, co-owner of Lindsay-Wright Company, a Columbus firm that designs and builds outdoor living areas, has been in the business for more than 30 years. Most of the companys projects begin with a base of decorative stone or concrete pavers, he said.

I can remember our first job, back when I was still working full-time as a schoolteacher, Lindsay recalled.

At the start, you just had red clay pavers. We threw down railroad ties, put down compacted sand and laid red clay pavers. Thats as sophisticated as it got back then. Now the skys the limit. There are so many fun things that can be done.

Now there are literally thousands of pavers in every color, shape and texture, plus natural stone. And the choices just get bigger and bigger and bigger. The brick paver industry continues to grow every single year, Lindsay said.

The pavers have come a long way, agreed Greg Gilbertsen, a design and sales professional with Landscape Design Solutions, the Dublin company that designed and built the Whites new outdoor area.

Twenty years ago, there was just what you think of as the standard 6-by-6, 6-by-8 paver, Gilbertsen said.

Now theres a wide variety of looks and colors, and also natural stone. People ask, Does the stone hold up as well as the pavers? I say, Theyre millions of years old already, so yes.

Gilbertsens company prefers pavers as a floor for outdoor rooms.

Poured concrete sometimes can be lower cost, and Ive seen some pretty artistic stuff with stamped concrete. But you can do so many things with pavers, and they are so much easier to repair.

Of course, the floor is only the beginning of most outdoor-room projects these days.

A lot of people are putting a roof over their outdoor room now, Lindsay said.

Companies that make pergolas and pavilions for outdoor rooms are piggybacking on the back of the growth of the hardscape industry, Lindsay said.

Before, wed have to plant a tree for shade, he said. Now, you can have instant shade with a pergola or pavilion.

And Ohios cold winters dont deter homeowners, Medlock said.

In Ohio, that means using outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, tower heaters, even resonating heaters built into the ceilings of pavilions, he said.

Projects can be as simple or as elaborate as a customer wants, Lindsay said, and can be designed to fit tiny urban backyards or huge suburban or rural lots.

When Leah Miller, 47, and Todd Miller, 46, bought a home in Dublin last year, one of the first things they did was start work on a new outdoor entertainment area.

At our old house, we had a covered patio with a fireplace and absolutely loved it, Leah Miller said. The previous owner of our new house had put on a simple concrete slab patio. That didnt make sense for us.

The Millers new outdoor-entertainment area includes a hot tub, outdoor kitchen and big-screen television over the fireplace.

My husband has three smokers, and every fall he hosts something he calls Meat-a-palooza. We have lots of people over, eat and watch football all day, Leah Miller said.

But the area isnt just for entertaining, she said. The Millers and their two teenage children use the outdoor area on almost a daily basis, she said.

We use it all the time, pretty much from March until it gets down to 30 or below, she said. Especially during football season, we love the feeling of having a fire going, getting cozy with blankets on, and watching games out there.

My husband also has an office at home, and when its nice out he works outside.

Leah Miller said she could not estimate the cost of the outdoor-entertainment room itself. The entire yard project, including addressing a drainage problem, re-sodding, installing an irrigation system and landscaping, cost about $200,000, she said.

Medlock, whose company designed the Millers project, said that more and more homeowners want to get outdoors to escape the frantic pace of modern life.

Family life is so hectic now. Bringing people together, outside in their own yard, surrounded by nature, is a better environment for everyone.

sstephens@dispatch.com

@SteveStephens

Originally posted here:
Pavers, pergolas and pavilions: Outdoor living areas get elaborate - The Columbus Dispatch

Marisa Thompson, Southwest Yard and Garden Published 6:19 a.m. MT March 8, 2020

Many roses are impressively drought- and heat-tolerant. A thick mulch layer and regular watering to a depth of 18 to 24 inches are great steps toward healthier, showier rose bushes.(Photo: Marissa Thompson)

Question: Is it too late to prune my roses?

Pat J., Artesia

Answer: No, its not too late. Theres more harm in pruning roses too early than too late. Thats because pruning stimulates a flush of new growth, which is wonderful as long as youre past the risk of more hard freezes in your area. That new green growth is especially prone to frost damage, and damaged branches would then need to be pruned back again. The optimal window for most rose pruning is two to fourweeks before your expected last frost. Even when pruned at this time, an abnormal late freeze can do considerable damage to your rose plants, but it is much less likely.

According to https://www.plantmaps.com/, the average last frost in Las Cruces is early April, in Artesia and Roswell its mid-April, Los Lunas and Albuquerque early May, and Taos early June. Many successful gardeners do holiday pruning, meaning in Las Cruces they might prune their roses around Valentines Day, St. Patricks Day in Albuquerque, and Tax Day in Taos.

Marisa Y. Thompson(Photo: Courtesy)

I see two drawbacks to waiting until your areas expected last frost date to prune your roses:

Many roses are impressively drought- and heat-tolerant. There are also flowering shrubs in the Rosaceae family that are native to New Mexico and are great options for low-water landscaping. Native or not, now is a great time to add a mulch (like woodchips, leaf litter, pine needles, etc.) under your bushes and around trees, and as a moisture-holding layer on the tops of your veggie beds.

I subscribe to a new newsletter from Divine Earth, a commercial pruning and landscape company in Albuquerque (https://divineearthnm.com/), and I was delighted to get their quick and clever tips on rose pruning:

I love that three out of their four rose pruning tips are about growing roses more sustainably. Any time is a great time to remove artificial weed barriers in ornamental landscapes. The trouble with them is that theyre either too flimsy to keep weeds from popping through, or they do a great job keeping weeds under control, but at the expense of keeping water and air from moving down into the soil. That means the soil and ornamental plant roots in those areas are sure to suffer. And, after time, soil that blows in on top of that barrier can harbor weed seeds that grow just fine on top of the fabric or plastic. Landscape designers and installers across the region are officially giving up on weed barriers in urban landscapes.

Its also always a great time to pull back landscape rock from around the base of roses and other ornamental plants and replace it with a nice, thick top layer of woody, fibrous mulch. If you compost your kitchen and garden scraps, you can sprinkle a layer of that on top with your mulch. Check out NMSU Extension Guides H-110, Backyard Compostingand H-164, Vermicomposting,for helpful info for beginner composters.

Water your established roses to a depth of 18 to 24 inches about once every two to four weeks in spring, depending on your soil type and environmental conditions like wind and temperature. When temperatures get higher, its recommended that we water our roses and other shrubs every one to three weeks from May through October. For newly planted roses, water will be needed more frequently and always to the same depth.

Special pruning note for climbing roses: wait until after bloom to prune. Thats because climbing roses bloom on one- and two-year-old wood, so if you prune before bloom youll be cutting away the current seasons flowers. Other roses bloom on new branches that develop in spring.

Roses can be pruned back harder than most people think, so dont be shy. If youre worried, try your own mini trial at home by pruning some branches lightly, pruning some branches back severely, and leaving some alone. Take photos before pruning, after pruning, and throughout the season and share them with me on social media: @NMDesertBlooms. NMSU Extension Guide H-165, Growing Roses,has lots more information about rose types and their care.

The Albuquerque Rose Society offers free pruning demos each year, and several are still coming up this season: March 14, 15, 21, and 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (http://www.albuquerquerose.com/). Ill attend one of these sessions and post video to the blog version of this column next week (https://nmsudesertblooms.blogspot.com/).

For more gardening information, including decades of archived Southwest Yard & Garden columns, visit the NMSU Extension Horticulture page (http://desertblooms.nmsu.edu/), follow us on social media (@NMDesertBlooms), or contact your County Extension office (https://aces.nmsu.edu/county).

Marisa Thompson, PhD, is the Extension Horticulture Specialist for New Mexico State University and is based at the Agricultural Science Center at Los Lunas.

More Southwest Yard and Garden:

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Its not too late to prune your roses, but it might be too early - Las Cruces Sun-News

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Some of the best places to honeymoon remain consistent year after year: Hawaii and Mexico are enduring and beautiful, while European capitals and coastal destinations like the ever-romantic Paris or the photogenic Greek isles remain top of mind for engaged couples.

But when it comes to the best places to honeymoon in 2020, there's a strong argument to be made for venturing off the beaten path. Some of the globe's less-traveled or more-underrated destinations offer just as much (if not more) stunning scenery with better value on luxury hotels and fewer selfie sticks to shatter your serenity.

Whether you're walking down the aisle this year or planning for next year, expand your map to include our top picks for places that offer the perfect mix of romance, adventure, and indulgence in places such as South and Central America, Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast, Southeast Asia, Caribbean, Azores, and New Zealand all with unforgettable hotels.

We selected these hotels from our own sublime experiences as well as based on top Trip Advisor ratings and reviews. Most hotels feature starting rates from about $200 to $600 per night, or slightly higher for all-inclusive honeymoon packages with dining and excursions.

These picks are priced for mere mortals, so they won't put a newlywed couple deep in debt as they start their lives together. But they are every bit filled with romance, bucket-list activities, and exposure to other-worldly beaches and landscapes every ingredient you'd want for a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon you'll forever cherish. Cheers to love and incredible travel in 2020.

Link:
The best honeymoon destinations and hotels that are luxurious, but still affordable - Business Insider - Business Insider

People who contract the novel coronavirus emit high amounts of virus very early on in their infection, according to a new study from Germany that helps to explain the rapid and efficient way in which the virus has spread around the world.

At the same time, the study suggests that while people with mild infections can still test positive by throat swabs for days and even weeks after their illness, those who are only mildly sick are likely not still infectious by about 10 days after they start to experience symptoms.

The study, by scientists in Berlin and Munich, is one of the first outside China to look at clinical data from patients who have been diagnosed with Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and one of the first to try to map when people infected with the virus can infect others.

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It was published Monday on a preprint server, meaning it has not yet been peer-reviewed, but it could still provide key information that the public health response has been lacking.

This is a very important contribution to understanding both the natural history of Covid-19 clinical disease as well as the public health implications of viral shedding, said Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesotas Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy.

The researchers monitored the viral shedding of nine people infected with the virus. In addition to tests looking for fragments of the viruss RNA, they also tried to grow viruses from sputum, blood, urine, and stool samples taken from the patients. The latter type of testing trying to grow viruses is critical in the quest to determine how people infect one another and how long an infected person poses a risk to others.

Importantly, the scientists could not grow viruses from throat swabs or sputum specimens after day 8 of illness from people who had mild infections.

Based on the present findings, early discharge with ensuing home isolation could be chosen for patients who are beyond day 10 of symptoms with less than 100,000 viral RNA copies per ml of sputum, the authors said, suggesting that at that point there is little residual risk of infectivity, based on cell culture.

Public health officials and hospitals have been trying to make sense of patients who seem to have recovered from Covid-19 but who still test positive for the virus based in throat swabs and sputum samples. In some cases, people test positive for weeks after recovery, the World Health Organization has noted.

Those tests are conducted using PCR polymerase chain reactionwhich looks for tiny sections of the RNA of the virus. That type of test can indicate whether a patient is still shedding viral debris, but cannot indicate whether the person is still infectious.

The researchers found very high levels of virus emitted from the throat of patients from the earliest point in their illness when people are generally still going about their daily routines. Viral shedding dropped after day 5 in all but two of the patients, who had more serious illness. The two, who developed early signs of pneumonia, continued to shed high levels of virus from the throat until about day 10 or 11.

This pattern of virus shedding is a marked departure from what was seen with the SARS coronavirus, which ignited an outbreak in 2002-2003. With that disease, peak shedding of virus occurred later, when the virus had moved into the deep lungs.

Shedding from the upper airways early in infection makes for a virus that is much harder to contain. The scientists said at peak shedding, people with Covid-19 are emitting more than 1,000 times more virus than was emitted during peak shedding of SARS infection, a fact that likely explains the rapid spread of the virus. The SARS outbreak was contained after about 8,000 cases; the global count of confirmed Covid-19 cases has already topped 110,000.

Osterholm said the data in the paper confirm what the spread of the disease has been signaling early and potentially highly efficient transmission of the virus occurs before clinical symptoms or in conjunction with the very first mild symptoms.

The study also looked at whether people who have been infected shed infectious virus in their stool. The report of last months international mission to China co-led by the WHO and China said that in several case studies in China, viable virus had been recovered from stool but that isnt likely driving transmission of the virus.

The German researchers found high levels of viral fragments in 13 stool samples from four patients in their study, but they were unable to grow virus from any of them. The paper noted, though, that all the patients had mild illness, and the fact that they could not find virus in their stool doesnt rule out that it could happen in other cases.

Further studies should therefore address whether SARS-CoV-2 shed in stool is rendered non-infectious though contact with the gut environment, they wrote, adding that their findings suggest measures to try to stop spread of the virus should focus on respiratory tract transmission protecting others from the coughs and sneezes of people infected with the virus.

Virus could not be grown from blood or urine samples taken from the patients, the authors reported.

The study also noted that people who are infected begin to develop antibodies to the virus quickly, typically within six to 12 days. The rapid rise of antibodies may explain why about 80% of people infected with the virus do not develop severe disease.

Read the rest here:
People 'shed' coronavirus early, but most likely not infectious after recovery - STAT

The Boston Bruins are in the midst of an impressive season, but we havent seen the best of them yet at least according to Jake Debrusk.

I dont think weve peaked this year, Debrusk said Monday, per the Bruins. We had a really good start obviously and weve kind of stayed more consistent I think than anything else and kind of found ways to win games, but I dont think weve peaked by any means.

Boston currently leads the NHL with 98 points with a 43-14-12 record.

The Bruins jumped out to an 11-1-2 start in the fall, which was motivated in part by coming up short in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues. And while that loss has continued to fuel players, the team also has tried to focus on the present season, rather than getting caught up in the past.

I think, obviously, its something that you want to have as a motivational tool, but you dont really want to doubt yourself in any way. We were one game away last year and obviously we want to come back and finish the job as every team does in this league, Debrusk said. But personally, its just a matter of trying to build your game and peak at the right time.

While Debrusk believes the Bruins have not peaked yet, the team certainly is getting close.

Boston has had a number of players step up of late, like Charlie McAvoys huge game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Patrice Bergeron notching his sixth 30-goal season of his career. The team has gone 14-4-0 since the All-Star Game and has just 13 games left to play in the regular season.

Though, a key part to the Bruins success also will depend on the team staying healthy. Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo both will be out with upper-body injuries for Tuesday nights game against the Philadelphia Flyers. And, of course, Boston is taking precautionary measures amid growing concerns about the coronavirus, and even has tossed around the possibility of playing games in empty arenas something Bergeron feels would leave a big void without the fans.

The Bruins will take on the Flyers on the road Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on NESN.

Thumbnail photo via Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports Images

Original post:
Jake Debrusk Sheds Light On Why He Believes Bruins Havent Peaked Yet - NESN

CLEMSON, South Carolina Just as there is a mysterious dark matter that accounts for 85 percent of our universe, there is a dark portion of the human genome that has perplexed scientists for decades. A study published March 9, 2020, in Genome Research identifies new portions of the fruit fly genome that, until now, have been hidden in these dark, silent areas.

The collaborative paper titled Gene Expression Networks in the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel is the culmination of years of research by Clemson University geneticists Trudy Mackay and Robert Anholt. Their groundbreaking findings could significantly advance sciences understanding of a number of genetic disorders.

Robert Anholt (left) and Trudy Mackay in their lab at the Clemson Center for Human Genetics.Image Credit: Robert Bradley, College of Science

The dark portion refers to the approximate 98 percent of the genome that doesnt appear to have any obvious function. Only 2 percent of the human genome codes for proteins, the building blocks of our bodies and the catalysts of the chemical reactions that allow us to thrive. Scientists have been puzzled by this notion since the 1970s when gene sequencing technologies were first developed, revealing the proportion of coding to noncoding regions of the genome.

Genes are traditionally thought to be transcribed into RNAs, which are subsequently translated into proteins, as dictated by the central dogma of molecular biology. However, the entire assemblage of RNA transcripts in the genome, called the transcriptome, contains RNA species that appear to have some other function, apart from coding for proteins. Some have proposed that noncoding regions might contain regulatory regions that control gene expression and the structure of chromosomes, yet these hypotheses were difficult to study in past years as diagnostic technology was developing.

Only in recent years, with the sequencing of the entire transcriptome complete, have we realized how many RNA species are actually present. So, that raises the whole new question: if they arent making the proteins the work horses of the cell then what are they doing? said Mackay, director of Clemson Universitys Center for Human Genetics (CHG), which is part of the College of Science.

For Mackay and Anholt, also of the CHG, these human genetics questions can be probed by studying the common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Because many genes are conserved between humans and fruit flies, findings revealed by analyzing the Drosophila genome can be extrapolated to human health and disease.

Mackay and Anholts former postdoctoral researchers, Logan Everett and Wen Huang, led the charge on this latest research, which identified more than 4,500 new transcripts in Drosophila that have never been uncovered before. Referred to by the researchers as novel transcribed regions, these 4,500 transcripts consist primarily of noncoding RNAs that appear to be involved in regulating networks of genes and that could contribute to genetic disorders.

Most disease-causing mutations are known to occur in the protein-coding portion of the genome, known as the exome, but when youre only sequencing the exome, you miss other disease-related factors in other parts of the genome, such as these long noncoding RNAs, said Anholt, Provosts Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Biochemistry at Clemson University. Now that the cost of whole genome sequencing has gone down considerably, and we have the capability of sequencing whole genomes rapidly, we can look at elements of the genome that have traditionally been considered unimportant, and we can identify among them potential disease-causing elements that have never been seen before.

By probing several hundred inbred Drosophila fly lines, each containing individuals that are virtually genetically identical, the researchers discovered that many of the novel long noncoding RNAs regulate genes in heterochromatin, a tightly packed form of DNA in the genome that is usually considered silent. Because heterochromatin is so condensed, it was thought to be inaccessible to the molecular machinery that transcribes DNA into RNA. Thus, any genes contained within heterochromatin are kept off, silent and unexpressed or are they?

What we think is that the repression of gene expression in heterochromatin is somewhat leaky, and that there is variation in how those genes are repressed, Mackay said. The network of RNAs weve discovered may have to do with actually regulating chromatin state.

These noncoding RNAs may play an important role in opening up such regions of the genome for expression of genes in a way that varies among different individuals depending on their genetic background, Anholt added.

Trudy Mackay and Robert Anholt address human genetics questions by studying the common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, because many genes are conserved between humans and fruit flies, meaning research results can be extrapolated to human health and disease.Image Credit: College of Science

Another outcome of the study is the expression of jumping genes, known as transposons, that are pieces of DNA able to move around the genome. As transposons cut and paste into other genes, they may cause genome instability that leads to cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and other diseases. These transposons were also located in heterochromatin, but the identification of transcripts of these transposons shows that they are actually being expressed, despite residing in a usually silent portion of the genome. Identifying regulators of transposable elements, as the researchers found among these 4,500 novel transcribed regions, could prove useful in treating disorders that stem from transposon interference.

Overall, the study lends toward a greater understanding of gene regulatory networks that contribute to human health and disease.

These observations open up an entirely new area of biology that hasnt been explored and has unlimited potential for future follow-up, Anholt said.

The teams own follow-up studies are using CRISPR gene editing technology to uncover what happens when genes revealed by this study are altered or deleted from the Drosophila genome. If the expression of other genes is altered by knocking one out, important conclusions can be drawn about the role that deleted gene plays in development or progression of disease.

Everett, one of the lead authors on the Genome Research publication, is now a bioinformatics scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Wen Huang is an assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University.

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The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health under grant numbers R01-AA016560, R01-AG043490 and U01- DA041613. Additional support was provided by The Danish Council for Strategic Research. The researchers are wholly responsible for the content of this study, of which the funders had no input.

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Clemson geneticists' collaborative research sheds light on 'dark' portion of genome - Clemson Newsstand

The Tom Green County Agrilife Extension office held their annual gardening seminar at the Tom Green County 4H facility on Saturday, February 29th. The seminar was named, Turf, Trees and Tomatoes, the Three Ts of Texas Horticulture. Hosting the event was the Tom Green County Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service office. Allison Watkins, the horticulturist for the Tom Green County Agrilife Extension office was the hostess for the Extension Office.

Along with Watkins, 2 other Agrilife agents made presentations; Dr. Russ Wallace, Professor and Extension Vegetable Specialist Department of Horticultural Sciences

Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Lubbock and Dr. Chrissie Segars, Assistant Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist, from the Agrilife Department of Soil and Crop Sciences in Dallas.

Agrilife spared no expense or experience for the seminar, with Wallace coming in from Lubbock and Segars from Dallas. Wallace is a highly respected professor and researcher with his Ph.D in Vegetable Crops from Cornell University. Wallaces territory for Agrilife covers the Texas High Plains and Panhandle regions.

Segars earned her Ph.D in Crop sciences from Oklahoma State University and is the go-to person when it comes to turf grass. Her interests include Turfgrass Management, Turfgrass Physiology, Athletic Field Management and Player Safety as well as Reducing Inputs in Turfgrass Management.

There isnt much that Watkins doesnt know about trees and she, as well as Segars and Wallace, covered an extensive amount of information in an easily understandable and gardener-friendly manner. The presenters answered technical questions about chemicals and mixes as well as less-detailed questions such as, What grass do I plant in the shade? Every question was important and the presenters encouraged participation. The time limits for each class werent enforced, which allowed everyone time to ask all of the questions that they wanted to.

The seminar, as promised, offered everything anyone could want when it came to turf, trees and tomatoes.

Watkins started off the day with her presentation on, Tree Selection and Establishment. Watkins began with several quotes about trees, including one from Alexander Smith, A man doesnt plant a tree for himself. He plants it for posterity. Watkins then delved into the topic of trees. She went over tree selection and establishment such as selecting native trees or adapted trees and consider mature size. Watkins also covered selecting a site, or rather, a tree, Select a tree for the site, not a site for the tree. She also covered the subject of purchasing trees; Dont buy root bound trees; Select trees with good form; The biggest tree is not always the best; as well as Inspecting for girdling roots and double leaders, Watkins pointed out that only the outer ring of a tree will take up the water. She talked about transplant shock, Smaller trees will go through less transplant shock than larger tree, and discussed handling of trees, Always handle a tree by the root ball and not by the trunk. She covered Oak Wilt as well, with one bit of information centering on how the disease is transmitted. Buying infect oak firewood from other places and bringing it here can spread Oak Wilt. You can find out further information on Oak Wilt at http://www.TexasOakWilt.org.

The remainder of Watkins class covered prepping the site for your tree, planting the tree and protecting the tree. Watkins also said that that staking a tree should only be done as a last resort. Her presentation, as well as the presentations from Wallace and Segars included slides with photos of the dos and donts.

Watkins also gave out information on recommended trees for this specific area of the state, which included; Texas Redbud; Mexican Redbud; Oklahoma Redbud; Mexican Buckeye; Chisos Rosewood; Mexican Paloverde; Evergreen Sumac; Western Soapberry as well as many more species that she said do well here with the proper care.

The next class was Growing Tomatoes, and was taught by Wallace. It seems that growing tomatoes is woven into the DNA of every Texas gardener and it was a hot topic at the seminar. Wallace is not only the Extension Agent Vegetable Specialist, hes also a tomato judge at the fair in Lubbock and in the Panhandle. Wallace grows tomatoes for Texas A&M Agrilife at their facility in Lubbock and is a master of the red fruit that is the subject of so much frustration one year and pride the next year for Texas gardeners. Yes, tomatoes are fruits but theyre considered vegetables by nutritionists.

The subject of tomatoes went well beyond the 60 minutes that was schedule for the topic, but the subject never bogged down or hit a lull. There was a great deal of conversation and numerous questions about growing tomatoes. Some of the information put out by Wallace included: Tomatoes are a tropical fruit; they like an average temperature of 70-80 degrees; they dont tolerate freezes; they like a pH of 5.5 7.3; they dont like salinity (some fertilizers contain salt and tomatoes dont like it); they prefer consistent moisture and dont like to be waterlogged; they prefer starter fertilizer; they respond best if regularly fertilized with small amounts throughout the season. Wallace said that Miracle Grow is a good fertilizer, especially starter solutions. Miracle Grow is made in Ballinger at Buddys Plant Plus.

Wallace said that drip-irrigations systems worked best for growing tomatoes and stressed the importance of keeping them regularly fertilized and watered uniformly throughout the season.

Wallace also covered the selection of tomato varieties. Some of the varieties covered were Phoenix, Shady Lady, Solar Fire, Sun King, Celebrity, Classy Lady, Sun Master and BHN 444. The pros and cons of each variety were discussed in depth, as well as their resistance to various diseases and pests such as Verticillum Wilt (V), Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV), Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Variety (TYLCV), Fusarium (F), Nematode (N), Tobacco Mosaic (T), Alternaria Stem Canker (A) and Stemphylium solani (S), which also known as Gray Leaf Spot.

Wallace covered how to identify problems in your tomato plants, such as iron deficiency, which can be spotted by a yellowing/bleaching of leaves. Iron deficiency is common to soils with high pH and salinity; Physiological Heat Roll was also discussed. Physiological Heat Roll is caused by heat stress. He also spoke about how to address issues such as Physiological Heat Roll: Use shade cloth to protect them from the sun; cool down the plant with a spray bottle of water. Wallace said that irrigating your tomatoes more will not help. Perhaps the most concerning, at least to Texas gardeners, is that tomato flowers will pop off when they hit 92 - 93. Giving them protection from scalding afternoon sun is critical when our temperatures get into the high 90s and 100s.

Segars covered the subjects of, Turf Irrigation, and Hot Topics in Turf. Segars said that good turf grass can help in several ways, It can absorb pollutants, heat, noise, dust and it can prevent soil erosion. She said that the primary selection criteria should revolve around heat/drought tolerance, irrigation requirements, traffic tolerance, desired use and the time of year the turf is most used. Anyone who has endured a west Texas summer knows the frustration of watching your lawn turn brown in July when water restrictions set in and you can only water your yard once a week while temperatures bake it at 100.

When it comes to native grasses and drought-resistant grasses, Segars said that Buffalo Grass is the only native turf grass in the USA. She said that Buffalo Grass and Bermuda grass are the most drought-resistant grasses and the Zoysia grass thrives in filtered shade. St. Augustine is another good grass for shady areas. Buffalo Grass is the most cold-tolerant grass. According to Segars, the downside to Zoysia is that it is a slow-growing grass. All of the grasses and varieties of each grass were covered during the class, along with how to care for them and how to build a great lawn, even in drought conditions.

If youd like more information on the material covered in the classes or have questions about horticulture, you can email Watkins at aewatkins@ag.tamu.edu or call her at (325) 659-6528.

If you would like more information or have questions about growing tomatoes, or vegetable gardens in general, you can email Wallace at: rwwallace@ag.tamu.edu or call him at the Lubbock Agrilife Extension office at (806) 746-4057.

For questions about grasses, Segars can be reached at Chrissie.Segars@ag.tamu.edu or follow her on Twitter: Hairyligule21. The phone number to the Agrilife Dallas office is (972) 952-9212.

The annual Concho Valley Master Gardeners plant sale is on April 4th, from 8 a.m. until noon (or sold out, whichever comes first). Last year over 4,500 plants were sold. The event is wildly popular and most plants are sold out within 1-2 hours of the doors opening. The event is at the Tom Green County 4H facility and its best to get there 30 minutes to an hour early to get in line.

In September the 9th Annual Fall Landscaping Symposium will be held at the Tom Green County 4H facility.

You can find out more information, as well as Allison Watkins horticulture updates, soil testing and Earthkind Landscaping at http://www.txmg.org/conchovalley.

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Agrilife gardening seminar sheds light on turf, trees and tomatoes - Runnels County Register

The world premiere of A Barn Playa play that explores animal rights and family separationtakes place on March 18 and the show will run until April 4 in New York City. A Barn Play shares the story of seven farm animals who are rehearsing for their own play. The rehearsal is disrupted when a cow and pig have to explain to a sheep that their little ones, whove been taken away by a farmer, are not coming back. The hour-and-a-half long play sheds light on the animal farming industrys practices of taking away animals babies while providing a parallel look at the countrys current immigration issue involving human children being separated from their parents. I always look for something that Id never seen before, and A Barn Play certainly fits that description, Artistic Director James Bosley said. But aside from its uniqueness, I was drawn to the subversive way it approaches the issues of animal rights, and of family separation which, for our Northern Manhattan community, is an extremely urgent concern. A Barn Play is produced by the UP Theater Company and takes place at the Good Shepherd/Inwood Academy Space in the Inwood neighborhood of NYC.

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NYC Vegan Play Sheds Light on the Cruelty of Family Separation For Animals and Humans - VegNews

Crude oil remained stuck in the lower circuit this morning, shedding as much as 30 per cent in the first two hours of trading on the Multi-Commodity Exchange. The meltdown in crude had a trickle-down effect on gold, silver and base metals.

The fall was triggered by the crash in global crude following the price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Brent fell to $31 a barrel in the morning, down over 30 per cent from Fridays close after Russia backtracked from the Opec production deal and instead increased production further to make US shale oil production unviable.

This led to a price war with Saudi Arabia also raising production and lowering the price, causing panic across markets and asset classes, and a rush to meet losses in derivatives of all assets including equities, debt, currency and commodities. The Indian commodity derivatives market is price taker in major commodities like precious metals and energy, apart from base metals.

As a result many players who had gone long on crude oil had to pay additional margins beyond the 20 per cent they had paid earlier, under MCX's dynamic margin structure. Globally too, there was a sell-off across the board to meet losses in crude oil and equities.

Said Ajay Kedia, Kedia Advisory, Mumbai: Today is a Black Day for the financial market as we have seen a horrific fall in equities, commodities, and currencies after Crude oil plunged more than 25 per cent in one of the biggest one-day falls since the Gulf War of the early 1990s. Investors are literally bracing for a race to the bottom, as an all-out Opec price war erupts between Saudi Arabia and Russia.

With an extra oil output of up to 3.1 million barrel per day pouring into a slowing global economy that is now also having to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, Kedia said, It will be rough sledding for the oil sector going forward. The price crash came at a difficult time for US shale, and has posed a conundrum for President Donald Trump. Lower oil prices are an important part of his pitch to voters, and he has frequently calling on Opec to bring them down. But a prolonged price fall could spell economic trouble for energy-producing states such as Texas and North Dakota.

In MCX futures, crude oil was down 29 per cent in the afternoon, recovering over 4 per cent from the day's low. All metals were down with aluminium shedding 1.5 per cent, Nickel 3.8 per cent and copper and zinc 2.5 per cent and 4 per cent respectively. Agro commodities were also were impacted.

Anuj Gupta, Deputy Vice president-Research, Angel Broking said, Today's fall in crude oil prices may also impact other commodities like metals and farm commodities. All commodity segments corrected drastically. In general, crude is the primary driver for global growth. Fall in crude oil prices at a time when several countries are struggling to take on the spread of the coronavirus has created an emergency situation and fear of global economic growth slowdown.

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Black Monday for commodities across the board as crude sheds 31% - Business Standard

People in consensually non-monogamous relationships tend be more willing to take risks, have less aversion to germs, and exhibit a greater interest in short-term mating compared to those in monogamous relationships, according to new research published in Frontiers in Psychology. The findings may help explain why consensual non-monogamy is often the target of moral condemnation.

Consensual non-monogamy (CNM) is an increasingly popular romantic relationship practice in societies historically predominated by monogamy. CNM refers to any romantic relationship where people form consensually non-exclusive romantic or sexual partnerships, said lead researcher Justin K. Mogilski of the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie.

Research documents that those who pursue CNM are the target of significantly greater moral condemnation than those in monogamous relationships. However, peoples perceptions of CNM tend to be discordant with its actual practices and outcomes. For example, CNM individuals are presumed to have worse sexual health than monogamous individuals yet report similar or better sexual health practices compared to those in monogamous relationships.

They also report unique benefits from forming multiple intimate relationships such as diversified need fulfillment, more frequent social opportunities, and more fluid sexual expression. And these benefits are associated with relatively greater relationship satisfaction, particularly when an individuals personality is matched to their relationship structure (e.g., when someone with greater interest in casual sex pursues CNM), Mogilski told PsyPost.

We became interested in this topic to address why these negative beliefs about CNM exist despite evidence to the contrary. In our study, my colleagues and I tested a novel explanation for why moral stigma against CNM exists: individuals who habitually form multiple romantic or sexual partnerships may be predisposed to engage in riskier, more competitive behaviors that strain social cooperation.

People may therefore condemn these relationships because they think doing so prevents personal and public health risks. That is, if people are discouraged from forming multiple concurrent romantic relationships, this may prevent violent competition for romantic partners, domestic abuse due to infidelity, partner abandonment, child neglect, and disease transmission, Mogilski said.

The researchers surveyed 783 individuals who were currently in a romantic relationship of some type. Most of the participants were in a monogamous relationship, but 149 were in a multi-partnerrelationship and 96 were in an open relationship. After filling out a demographic questionnaire, the participants completed assessments of life history, pubertal development, attitudes towards uncommitted sex, perceived vulnerability to disease, and risk-taking.

In our study, we collected data that showed that people within CNM relationships tend to be willing to take more social and ethical risks, are less averse to germs, and are more interested in short-term romantic relationships (and less interested in long-term, committed relationships) than those in monogamous relationships, Mogilski told PsyPost.

These predispositions are known as a fast life history strategy. According to life history theory, early life experiences can shape an individuals behavior toward relationships and life in general. Those faced with unpredictable childhoods develop a fast life strategy that emphasizes insecure attachments, immediate gratification, and risky behaviors. Those with a more stable childhood, on the other hand, develop a slow life strategy that emphasizes long-term goals, greater investments, and reduced aggression.

This presents a paradox: those who seek out CNM relationships appear to be predisposed to take risks, pursue short-lived romantic relationships, and disregard disease. Yet, in practice, they avoid this, Mogilski explained.

To resolve this paradox, we propose a model in our paper explaining how modern CNM communities regulate negative outcomes within multi-partner relationships. Most modern CNM communities have well-developed guidelines for pursuing non-exclusive relationships safely and ethically. These guidelines, including effective birth control, open communication and honesty, and consent-seeking, may help manage and diminish the risks common to competitive, promiscuous mating environments.

In other words CNMs culture of compassionate sexual ethics may help risk-prone people pursue multi-partner mating in a manner that doesnt endanger other peoples physical or mental health, Mogilski said.

The researchers emphasized that the findings should not be mistaken as a justification of the condemnation of consensual non-monogamy. In fact, they hope the research will help to reduce the moral stigma surrounding the topic.

Our data highlight how those with a proclivity toward CNM may possess personality traits that predispose them to take risks, pursue multi-partner mating, and disregard pathogens. CNM practices may therefore not foster these traits, but rather provide an environment where people can ethically express them, Mogilski said.

If this is true, CNM may improve, rather than threaten, cooperation and well-being within certain communities a feature that should be valued by those who fear how public acceptance of CNM might affect social order or the stability of romantic relationships.

But it can also be practiced in a way that produces social disharmony. The researchers hope that future research will uncover the strategies that CNM practitioners use to manage multi-partner relationships, and how those strategies are related to personal and relationship outcomes.

Though there are plenty of popular resources for people who wish to ethically practice multi-partner mating, there is currently no comprehensive, scientific study of these practices. It would strengthen our hypothesis to show that those who pursue multi-partner mating in a relatively more ethical way tend to experience more positive relationship outcomes from doing so. Stay tuned this research is currently underway, Mogilski said.

The study, Life History and Multi-Partner Mating: A Novel Explanation for Moral Stigma Against Consensual Non-monogamy, was authored by Justin K. Mogilski, Virginia E. Mitchell, Simon D. Reeve, Sarah H. Donaldson, Sylis C. A. Nicolas and Lisa L. M. Welling.

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Study sheds light on the roots of moral stigma against consensual non-monogamy - PsyPost