Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

YOUR SAY: The removal of a large blue gum a year or so ago and now the destruction of more trees along South St in the school grounds of Centenary Heights High School is a loss to the students, the community and to fauna.

The removal of the blue gum is still being talked about by local people.

This most valuable and beautiful tree was more than 100-years-old.

And now we are faced with a greatly spoiled streetscape (that used to be so beautiful), and an ugly collection of school buildings following the removal of more trees.

What message does this convey to young people who are increasingly disconnecting from nature and connecting more and more to technology?

There is already a great deal of community anger and sadness over the loss of over 400 mature trees in two local parks in recent weeks, and this is compounded by what appears to be senseless tree destruction at the high school.

Does the Department of Education bear any responsibility to the environment, the education of students re respect for nature?

And does it have a responsibility to ensure that the school is not visually ugly and impacting negatively on the streetscape?

More:
Tree loss a blow to Toowoomba community

Trees on on a La Forest Dr. property just south of Los Amigos in La Ca&ntidle;ada Flintridge on Wednesday, April 2, 2014. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer / February 5, 2015)

The La Caada Flintridge City Council received a progress report Monday on the citys tree ordinance, which met with some controversy after its passing in 2013.

Assistant planner Harriet Harris told the council the city has processed 50 tree removal requests since the regulations took effect Aug. 1. A total of 28 were for dead trees, while 12 were emergency removals.

We did have some instances at the public counter, where if an individual found out they wouldnt have to replace a dead tree and it was close to being dead, they would just allow it to die, she said.

Harris also wondered whether the council wanted to consider tightening one criterion for removal, which states property owners can request the service for other reasonable cause so long as it doesnt negatively impact views or the character of the neighborhood.

After some discussion, council members agreed that the ordinance should be left as is for now. Mayor Pro Tem Don Voss said he was glad to see, many months later, the ordinance was working well.

We had some people a couple years ago predicting that La Caada Flintridge was about to be clear cut. Obviously that has not been the case, he said.

Go here to read the rest:
Council briefed on tree ordinance

Trees, shrubs, and vines are essential elements in your landscape, adding structure, texture, and color as well as establishing focal points. Fortunately, taking care of trees, shrubs, and vines can be easy, but it does require knowing the basics, and learning insider tips will help your plants reach their full potential. All the care advice you need is here. Start with what you buy: Trees and shrubs can be bare-root, balled-and-burlapped, or container-grown. All of them will work well in a landscape, but each has different requirements. Here's what you need to know to make sure all three types will get off to a great start in your landscape. Once your trees, shrubs, and vines are established, maintaining them is key to ensuring their healthy growth. Part of that maintenance includes pruning -- but what do you prune and when? We have advice on pruning, as well as a maintenance calendar. Not sure what tool works for pruning small branches or large limbs? Turn to our guide. If you have an established tree or shrub in your landscape that's been neglected, you can give it new life with careful pruning.

Excerpt from:
Caring for Trees & Shrubs - Better Homes and Gardens ...

Charlie's Plant to Ponder: Pothos

Also called devil's ivy and hunter's robe, pothos is a high-climbing, evergreen vine that develops leaves up to 2 feet long as it gains height. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum), a native of the Solomon Islands, is tender to cold but still spreads rapidly when grown in the landscape. This common houseplant is propagated by cuttings.

Numerous cold-sensitive species of Eugenia are grown for their fruit, including pitomba, grumichima, Brazil cherry, Australian beach cherry and the invasive Surinam cherry. The only hardy Eugenia commonly cultivated for its fruit is cherry of the Rio Grande, a plant that withstands temperatures into the upper teens with minimal damage. This is a handsome shrub or small tree that grows 12 to 15 feet tall in full or part-day sun.

The juicy and tasty fruit of cherry of the Rio Grande is about an inch long and dark red and is eye-catching against the plant's glossy, dark-green foliage. Those fruit, eaten fresh and used for preserves, appear in late spring and early summer following attractive white blossoms. This slow-growing species thrives on organically enriched, mulched sites that are irrigated during dry spells. Cherry of the Rio Grande is difficult to propagate from cuttings and air layers, so it's usually propagated by seeds. Typically it takes 5 to 10 years from seed sowing for plants to bear fruit. Plants are available online and sometimes from local nurseries. This plant can be found listed under Eugenia cerasiflora, involucrata and aggregata.

TURF VIRUS NEARBY

Sugarcane mosaic virus, a disease that infects various grasses, including kinds of St. Augustine turf, appeared in Palm Beach County in the 1960s. But in 2013, and again in 2014, sugarcane mosaic virus showed up in Pinellas County and devastated numerous lawns, especially those with the Floratam' variety of St. Augustine turfgrass. All varieties of St. Augustine may be vulnerable, but Palmetto' and Bitter Blue' are considered somewhat resistant.

No treatment is available for stricken lawns, which display intermittent yellow streaks on grass blades, eventually leading to necrosis (death). The virus seems to become noticeable in early autumn and then progress throughout the cool season.

Machinery such as mowers and string trimmers can spread the disease from site to site, so it may eventually move into neighboring counties. Homeowners who want more information should visit http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp313.

SAVING VARIEGATION

This is a good time of year to remove any solid-green growth that has emerged on variegated plants. Variegated varieties of most plants tend to slowly revert to all-green foliage that, if left intact, eventually dominates the plant and looks unsightly. One of the most popular landscape plants in Florida the flax lily often begins to produce solid-green offsets after a few years. In this case, sever the non-variegated clumps and dig them out, roots and all.

Link:
Weekend Plantings: Turf Virus Nearby, Saving Variegation, Plants for Wet Sites

Islamic Art Fest Houston
Enjoy the rich heritage of arts in Islam with your family: View Paintings, Ceramic tile work, Wood carving! See Video Slideshow of Islamic art Have your na...

By: Rod Felder

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Islamic Art Fest Houston - Video

1814 Shadetree Dr., San Marcos, CA 92078 - Former Model Home With All The Designer Touches!
A former model home with all of the amazing designer touches! Beautiful fixtures, intricate tile work, hardwood and stone floors, crown moulding, plantation ...

By: Scott Smerud

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1814 Shadetree Dr., San Marcos, CA 92078 - Former Model Home With All The Designer Touches! - Video

How on earth do you clean shower grout & ceramic tile and what products work best?

This was a question I was pondering while taking a shower the other day. Primarily because the grout on our showers ceramic floor wasnt looking so good.

I try to keep our shower clean, but with two adults and two kids its pretty darn hard to maintain Mr Cleans level of tidiness (hey, the guy has no hair and that helps a lot with keeping showers looking immaculate).

We have small 2 inch by 2 inch square tiles on our shower floor (sound familiar) and my primary goal was to determine the best way to clean them. I also wanted to see if the same solution used to clean the ceramic tile could clean the grout.

Heres the list of products tested

Ive read so many articles on the awesomeness of OxiClean (oxygenated bleach) and wanted to see for myself how it would work on ceramic tile & grout.

My wife bought Eco Orange Citrus Cleaner from a salesperson in our neighborhood because its supposedly non-toxic and kid friendly. Weve used it for general cleaning and it seemed like a good thought to try it on the shower, too.

And as a last resort I tried Chlorox bleach. Its not my preference due to the noxious fumes and likelihood youll ruin your clothes using it.

Admittedly I hit a road block the first few times I used OxiClean. Ill share my experience because it sheds light on the amount of OxiClean I found to have the most power. At the very least youll want to scroll through the pictures since I was growing my cheesy moustache to raise money for prostate cancer awareness.

Lets get started

Go here to see the original:
Cleaning Shower Ceramic Tile & Grout: What Works and What ...

Joanna Dawidowska, of DCeramics

CERAMIC maker and designer Joanna Dawidowska is embarking on another chapter in her career with the launch of a new business.

Her company DCeramic has secured a deal to produce a range of tiles for Two Bad Mice Publishers, featuring artwork by Anita Jeram, who illustrated the much-loved childrens storybook Guess How Much I Love You.

Now Joanna hopes DCeramic can help other well-known brands expand their ranges with decorative tiles featuring their signature designs.

It comes after Joanna moved to the aptly named Furnace Road, in Normacot, from Stoke Business Village where, as a freelance artist, her Dawidowska Ceramics venture was based.

Joanna, who unveiled the Two Bad Mice range at the Retail Spring Fair in Birmingham last week, said: I just had this dream to open up a tile shop.

I have a range of my own, called Delft, and I also produce tiles featuring other designs. But the aim is to work with well-established brands also and produce a product for them featuring their designs.

Joannas passion for ceramics began in Poland where she studied ceramic art and sculpture before moving to the UK to further her studies, including completing a degree in 3D design ceramics at Staffordshire University.

She went on to collaborate on a number of ceramic projects, most recently leading the team of makers in Stoke-on-Trent for the Paul Cummins Ceramics Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red project, producing some 413,000 poppies towards the art installation at the Tower of London.

As well as working with other brands, DCeramic also produces tiles for antique and building restoration, for replacing missing or broken tiled inserts on heritage fireplaces, and bespoke and limited edition tiles for high-end kitchen design companies.

See original here:
Normacot designer Joanna Dawidowska launches new business

Station 74 Howard Amon Park Sprinkler System.
We check in on the status of our new fire station, station 74 and our new sprinkler system at Howard Amon Park.

By: Richland CityView

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Station 74 & Howard Amon Park Sprinkler System. - Video

How to Install Your Own Automatic Sprinkler System
For most people, their front yard is the first thing they see when you come home from work at the end of the day and their backyard is where they spend a LOT...

By: DIYSprinklerbook

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How to Install Your Own Automatic Sprinkler System - Video