Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) With little change in southeastern Nebraskas drought despite some rain, lawns are hurting.

The time to invest in your lawn is now, according to the Nebraska Extension office in Lancaster County.

Temperatures largely influence how the grasses here grow, controlling when you should seed and fertilize.

Now through Sept. 15, both Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue grow better as air and soil temperatures cool down. There is better root growth and new seedlings get off to a better start.

We have cooler temperatures and hopefully more rain which allow for better root development on those new grass plants, said Sarah Browning, an educator at Nebraska Extension. Fall is also a time when we have less weed pressure, so we dont have to fight the weeds quite as bad as you do with the spring seeding.

When it comes to overseed and patch areas, there are steps to ready the soil before putting down any product.

Before you overseed, always dethatch the lawn, said Christian Burbach, owner of Black Label Property Services. Dethatching is a process where youll scrape up the dead grass thats been accumulating over the summers, years, however long. Especially if you are not bagging your grass, youre going to want to dethatch almost on a yearly basis. This makes sure that youre not going to have a bunch of dead spots on your yard from all that dead grass accumulating.

After dethatching, professionals then encourage aerating your yard for the nutrients and oxygen it will provide the soil.

When you are ready to then overseed, buy the high-quality blue tag seed for your yard.

Once the seed is set, the area needs to be watered two to four times a day during the first two weeks, depending on temperatures.

As the grass approaches mowing height, you can slow down the number of times you water.

And mowing should start as soon as possible.

People dont want to wait and allow the grass seedlings to get tall before they start to mow, Browning said. They want to stick with their normal mowing schedule and start mowing those seedlings as quickly as possible to help them develop maturity.

Experts say getting your seeding done as early as possible is important because each week of delay means two to four additional weeks the grass will need to mature in the fall.

See more here:
Dethatch, aerate, seed: Nebraska Extension says the time for lawn care is now - KLKN

Clear-cutting trees to make it easier to raise cattle in the Midwest eliminated much of the landscape known as Midwest Savanna, but an experimental farm in southern Missouri is trying to prove that grazing animals in forests is better for the environment, farmers, and the cows.

Midwest Savannas typically had many trees, but they were far apart, providing shade but also enough sunlight and space for native grasses to grow on the forest floor.

That habitat was created intentionally by a lot of indigenous communities that lived here, said Ashley Conway-Anderson, an agroforestry professor at the University of Missouri. Intentionally managed with fire, and then once fire opened things up, what came next was grass and what came next was large grazing herbivores.

Those herbivores were bison and elk 500 years ago, but Conway-Anderson said they could be cows today. Shes leading a multi-year study at the University of Missouris Wurdak Extension and Education Center, about 30 miles southeast of Rolla, to first thin out the forest areas, get native grasses growing and bring in cows to graze.

When Europeans came to the Americas, it started a pattern of forests either being overplanted, unmanaged, or clear-cut to make way for pastures or fields for crops.

The practice of returning to more natural efforts of grazing livestock in the forest is called silvopasture, and it's a very old way of raising animals.

While there isnt anything new about the practice, Conway-Andersons research is getting more attention because healthy forests can be a critical part of combating climate change.

Trees are good at keeping carbon out of the atmosphere and are also resilient in the face of extreme weather caused by climate change.

When we do have floods, when we do have droughts and fires, it wont be wholesale destruction. It will be able to recover much more quickly and maintain functionality longer when it experiences those inevitable challenges, Conway-Anderson said.

Her goal is to get the data and create an example to help farmers move their cattle from open fields into forests.

Jonathan Ahl / Harvest Public Media

/

It could be a short trip, she said, because so many want to, and some already are, like Iowa farmer Bruce Carney, who raises cattle on his family farm north of Des Moines.

More than 10 years ago, he decided to convert 200 acres from corn and soybeans fields to land for cattle to graze.

What I learned after seeding a crop farm down was that I needed trees. I needed windbreaks. I needed shade. I needed a living barn. To me, thats what trees do for you, Carney said.

Carney said trees make cows happier, healthier and bring in more money when they are sold. He is cited as a success story of silvopasture development, but Carney eschews the label.

Im not a silvopasture expert, Carney said, Im just a guy who planted trees. And Id like to do more.

The kind of research going on at the University of Missouri could help him and other farmers do that by developing best practices and plans to make forest grazing work.

Another benefit of the movement is that it can make small farms more viable by increasing the amount of money they bring in.

By its very nature, silvopasture is intentional and intensive, so it allows for us to do more on one piece of land, said Kaitie Adams, the Illinois Community Agroforester for the Wisconsin-based Savanna Institute.

You can grow food like apples or walnuts, have a timber business and graze cattle all on one reasonably sized piece of land, Adams said. And with farmland prices skyrocketing, that makes it more possible for new, younger people to get into farming.

There are a lot of challenges to making a go of having cattle graze in forests, including the time it takes for trees to grow, the inefficiency of raising cattle that graze as opposed to producing them in a factory farm, and the time and effort required to manage a forest properly.

Conway-Anderson and other advocates believe its worth it, and are optimistic that they can prove it.

I want to get more people thinking about this as a viable possibility. Because even if everybody does this on 40 acres that they have, thats a huge amount that can add to this mosaic and help rebuild the tapestry of savanna landscape that once was here, Conway-Anderson said.

Silvopasture proponents are also banking on the increased need for such measures, as climate change puts pressure on agriculture to come up with solutions in the coming years.

Link:
Getting cattle into the forest could help climate change, farmers and the livestock - KOSU

Dyers chamomile, self-heal, vipers bugloss, goldenrod, hares bell, maiden pink, old mans beard, ladys bedstraw: some of the old names of the wild flowers in the new summerhouse meadow.

Rampant, thigh-high now in just a few weeks; sunlit grass-seed-coloured blond as Henris hair. It takes a couple of hours to acclimatise but with a little discreet tidying at the edges, a path or two cut through, we walk around in wonder. Flower vases throughout the house bringing the outside in.

The bird cherries are in full glory the small, sweet black fruit preferred by us; a more bitter translucent scarlet favoured by the flights of birds who ferry them to their nests.

The newly sown Serifos poppies, red as old soldiers tunics, have taken. The once-blue bed is already a mass of exuberant competing colour, vivid pinks and oranges. Calendula and nasturtium join the seeding phacelia, the cornflowers and borage. Others I have to ask my old Collins illustrated book and PlantNet about.

The ripe redcurrants will add sharpness to sweet local strawberries. The blackcurrants will be saved for Inas soft jam. The revelations, though, are the apple tree, almost barren last year, and the younger espalier pears.

Everything appears to have benefited from the stinking sack of organic manure I widely spread, to Henris distress. The trees are heavy with too many fruit so I cull through carefully.

I trim a few ground-hugging branches at the base of the towering larch and red pine to let air and occasional rain through. Mostly though we are here to mooch, to sit and eat outside, read newspapers, perhaps even a novel. Less so, our emails and phones.

We walk about in the mornings and evenings, consult the flower and bird apps. We cycle along the waters edge to the good fish shop in the small harbour. We wander to the sea at sunset. We count ourselves fortunate.

Allan Jenkinss Plot 29 (4th Estate, 9.99) is out now. Order it for 8.49 from guardianbookshop.com

Follow this link:
Reaping the rewards of a summer garden - The Guardian

Q: What can I do with my unseeded acres now the weather is more favourable?

A: Flooding and drought at seeding time are common situations that may lead to acres being unseeded to previously planned high-value crops. While crop insurance can provide varying levels of compensation for acres unseeded to long-season cash crops, sometimes opportunities exist to take advantage of later improvement of weather. A common practice in the Prairies is to plant these fields later with cover crops such as annual forages. This provides multiple economic and ecological benefits.

Economic benefits of cover crops include input cost reduction and additional revenue. For example, forage legumes can reduce nitrogen fertilizer expenses for the next crop, potentially increasing net profit over the course of your crop rotation. Furthermore, forages can reduce the need for herbicides by suppressing weeds through their rapid growth.

Additional cash flow can be realized when forages are harvested as greenfeed and silage. On the ecological side, forages can enhance soil health, as living roots provide food and shelter for soil microbes. Forages can also minimize soil erosion and nutrient loss when grasses are included due to the buildup of organic matter via above-ground biomass and fibrous root systems as well as nutrient recycling.

Selecting annual forages as cover crops requires careful considerations and chief among them are the primary goals of your production, species selection and location of your operation. The primary goal of cover cropping annual forages could be as simple as growing feed for grazing and/or silage. Suitable species can be chosen from legumes, grasses and broadleaf plants.

Legumes, in addition to building soil nitrogen levels, increase organic matter, improve soil tilth and serve as hosts to mycorrhizal fungi. Grasses, in addition to minimizing erosion and nutrient loss, can be used for silage/greenfeed and to extend the grazing season either with swath grazing or late-regrowth grazing.

Grass blends may include annual/Italian ryegrass underseeded with oats, barley or triticale. Broadleaf plants, especially the Brassica species, can help to break soil hardpans with their large roots, as well as reduce soil compaction and upcycle nutrients to near the soil surface.

A blend of these species, which includes legumes and Brassica species, may be seeded. A cereal may be used as a nurse crop to provide additional feed.

Optimal seeding rates for annual forage blends will vary depending on the blend used and should be discussed with your local crop advisor.

Sola Ajiboye, PhD, MBA, AIT, is a manager of agronomic solutions for Nutrien Ag Solutions for southern Alberta (North).

Here is the original post:
Economic and ecological benefits of annual forages - Grainews

|

News reporting

News reporting

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Mikkel Pates / Agweek

BISMARCK, N.D. Agriculture interests often look with suspicion about aggressive federal environmental goals.

Some rural media critics have warned that Biden Administration's 30 by 30 goal is some kind of land grab, ostensibly adding 30% of America covered by environment-conserving measures by the year 2030, by somehow co-opting conservation programs.

'+(e||"")+''+(r?("("+n+": "+r+")").replace(/s+/g,""):"")+"

But professionals delivering conservation policy through the U.S. Department of Agriculture say the 30 by 30 goals for the USDA are more down to earth beefing up the same voluntary programs in which farmers eagerly participate, and for which demand outstrips funding.

I think 30-by-30 is going to require that amount of accountability of what weve done in the past with funds, said Mary Podoll, who has headed the USDAs Natural Resources Conservation Service in North Dakota since 2011. Shes served in the NRCS across several administrations Republican and Democrats and said policies primarily are made by Congress, not whatever administration is in power.

Mikkel Pates / Agweek

Farmers regularly use these programs to improve pollution-impaired waters, as well as cutting soil erosion from wind and water. She said Congress controls the programs, which are not subject to presidential whim, by either party.

Mikkel Pates / Agweek

She acknowledged farm groups are wary of federal agencies, particularly the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPAs Waters of the United States or "WOTUS" policies, governing navigable waters (and sometimes temporary prairie potholes) have swung back and forth between administrations. Podoll said its important to consider that the NRCS also helps implement EPAs voluntary Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management Program designed to improve water quality. In North Dakota, the EPA funds are matched with the North Dakota

You know that counts, Podoll said, for 30-by-30. That will be part of how the president can say, Were protecting 30% of our nations landscapes with these programs. We could probably already show that the United States is already meeting some of that 30 by 30.'

Mikkel Pates / Agweek

The NRCS already has notified Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack that the agency have and can cover more than 30% of the United States through voluntary programs, Podoll said.

Trent Loos, a regional rural radio and podcast personality, has been one voice warning of a potential federal land grab, and how it could link with conservation programs. Loos, who ranches and lives in the Litchfield/Hazard area of Nebraska, 34 miles north of Kearney, was on former President Donald Trumps agricultural advisory committee.

In podcast interviews, Loos has worried aloud in meetings that government already owns 33% of U.S. land and 30-by-30 means means that the feds want more a total of more than 60%. At the time of the meetings, Loos was the declared running mate of Theresa Thibodeau, a former state senator who was seeking the Republican nomination for governor in the Cornhusker State. The duo placed fourth among Republicans in the May 10, 2022, primary election, with 6% of the party votes.

Podoll acknowledged that three people coming home from Loos presentations had contacted her agency, anxious to cancel their Conservation Stewardship Programs , one of the NRCS popular voluntary programs.

Their worry: that their five-year CSP award somehow could become permanent part of this federal land grab.

Mikkel Pates / Agweek

A federal takeover doesnt seem to be much of a worry of Lewis Heaton, a long-time user of the CSP. Heaton and his wife, Sherry, at McKenzie, North Dakota, farm and ranch on about 10,000 acres and raise about 600 head of cattle in a cow-calf operation. About half of the Heaton operation grows crops corn, soybeans and wheat, and some flax.

Lewis, 67, started farming in 1975 after picking up a degree at the North Dakota State College of Science at Wahpeton. He signed his first CSP contract in the 1990s, as the NRCS helped advance him into no-till farming. He started with a no-till corn planter and then bought a no-till air drill.

Mikkel Pates

If you did em you got an incentive payment, Lewis said. If you didnt, you didnt get the payment. And thats about as simple as you get. He was completely no-till in the early 2000s.

After about ten years, he became more interested in grazing system. The Heatons bought another ranch of mostly rangeland and used the CSP to implement grazing plans, now involving about 80 pastures added one or two a year. The rangeland didnt have all of the infrastructure they needed, and they added water and fencing over time.

Mikkel Pates / Agweek

CSP has helped, as well as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program.

We tried to do the things that dont cost a lot of money, Lewis said. If you turned one pasture into two by stringing some electric fence, the cost is really minimal, Lewis said. When you have a water source you can split between the two its really a cost-effective way of getting some improvement.

Mikkel Pates / Agweek

Lewis first enrolled in what is now called the classic program.

The first thing you have to do is to have something that has incentive for profitability on your ranch, you know, and then we might move into what you can do to meet that, Lewis said, noting rotational grazing, changing season-of-use. There are quite a few things that weve learned over the years that really do help not only your soil health, but is a big benefit for society in general, I would say.

Lewis is a board member for the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture, which fosters partnerships among federal, state, and private partners for wetland and grassland habitat conservation. He is a mentor with the North Dakota Grazing Land Coalition, a group that puts on workshops and pasture tours to foster increased profitability and sustainability in regenerative agriculture.

Asked whether he worries CSP could become some kind of federal land grab, Heaton answered this way: You read a lot of things. Theres a side to everything.

But Lewis acknowledges hes concerned about other things, like not-for-profit groups acquiring land for non-agricultural purposes. He has worries about the EPAs WOTUS policies that swing back and forth between administrations.

It makes people wonder where youre going to end up, he said, noting his farms have streams and drains.

Heatons latest five-year CSP contract expired in 2020. He wasnt eligible to re-enroll at that payment level without adding conservation practices. Hes considering enrolling as a new applicant, under some new environmental practices, possibly in the 2023 growing season.

Mikkel Pates / Agweek

He has some irrigated land and perhaps would apply for an incentive for variable-rate application technology across the whole farm varying the seeding rate according to soil type or whatever the baseline is.

And then your fertilization will be the same way, he said.

He used to have to plant the field corners, where the water didnt hit, separately.

With the variable-rate seeding we just go straight through with the planter and thatll automatically jump the population up and down. Same with the fertilizer, he said. A thumb drive on the tractor or fertilizer spreader would make it simple.

Lewis said he thinks the CSP could translate into carbon sequestration payments, but said it isnt clear how those markets will develop.

The major down side of the CSP is that it requires record-keeping and verifying, Lewis said. His ranch manager deals with field record-keeping on one ranch.

When youre moving cattle, you want to take a picture of the grass from one year to the next, he said. It takes work to verify everything that youre doing.

Here is the original post:
Will '30 by 30' be a stewardship boon or a federal 'land grab?' - Agweek

Swiss National Bank raised its position in shares of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE:SMG Get Rating) by 6.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 97,800 shares of the basic materials companys stock after buying an additional 5,700 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank owned about 0.18% of Scotts Miracle-Gro worth $12,025,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. raised its stake in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro by 15.6% in the fourth quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 48,889 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $7,888,000 after acquiring an additional 6,613 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 27,490 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $4,426,000 after acquiring an additional 759 shares in the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in the fourth quarter valued at $128,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV acquired a new stake in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro in the fourth quarter valued at $358,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 244,997 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $39,444,000 after acquiring an additional 10,219 shares in the last quarter. 62.23% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

SMG opened at $82.11 on Thursday. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $82.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $105.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.55, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 2.42. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company has a one year low of $72.58 and a one year high of $180.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.55 billion, a P/E ratio of -17.00 and a beta of 1.24.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 9th. Investors of record on Friday, August 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.22%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 25th. Scotts Miracle-Gros dividend payout ratio is currently -54.66%.

SMG has been the topic of several analyst reports. TheStreet cut Scotts Miracle-Gro from a c rating to a d+ rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Scotts Miracle-Gro from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and cut their price target for the company from $130.00 to $95.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 9th. Wells Fargo & Company cut Scotts Miracle-Gro from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and cut their price target for the company from $115.00 to $85.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 22nd. Truist Financial cut Scotts Miracle-Gro from a buy rating to a hold rating and cut their price target for the company from $185.00 to $85.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 8th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Scotts Miracle-Gro from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Saturday, May 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $113.88.

(Get Rating)

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company engages in the manufacture, marketing, and sale of products for lawn, garden care, and indoor and hydroponic gardening in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: U.S. Consumer, Hawthorne, and Other. It provides lawn care products comprising lawn fertilizers, grass seed products, spreaders, other durable products, and outdoor cleaners, as well as lawn-related weed, pest, and disease control products; gardening and landscape products include water-soluble and continuous-release plant foods, potting mixes and garden soils, mulch and decorative groundcover products, plant-related pest and disease control products, organic garden products, and lives goods and seeding solutions.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SMG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE:SMG Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Scotts Miracle-Gro Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Scotts Miracle-Gro and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

More here:
Swiss National Bank Grows Stock Holdings in The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE:SMG) - Defense World

Taylor Swift certainly has an impressive real estate portfolio. The singer-songwriter reportedly owns eight houses, each with their own unique style. Since Swift boasts a staggering net worth of $400 million, money is no object for her. This means she gets to be as imaginative and extravagant as she wants to when it comes to decorating and designing her homes. For her Nashville home specifically, Swift really leaned into creating an environment that felt more fantastical than realistic.

Theres no shortage of space in Swifts Nashville house. The mansion is reportedly 5,601 square feet and features a pool, four bedrooms, and four and a half baths. Because the home is so large, the All Too Well singer was really able to go all out with her decorations. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Swift described her interior style as Tim Burton-Alice in Wonderland-pirate ship-Peter Pan.

Swifts mystical vision is brought to life by her decorations. The house boasts a 6-foot topiary rabbit and a number of bird cages, the largest of which can fit an actual human. However, the most unique feature in the house seems to be the koi pond, which boasts real fish that Swifts cat, Meredith, is afraid of. In a prior interview with Rolling Stone via MTV, Swift described the vision for her home before she actually executed it.

RELATED: Taylor SwiftWrote 1 Iconic Hannah Montana Song

Its going to be my fantasy world, Swiftshared about decorating her house. The ceiling of my living room is painted like the night sky. Theres a pond in the living room. The pond is a moat around the fireplace [that] may possibly have koi fish in it. You step on a stepping stone in the pond in order to get on a spiral staircase, which takes you to the human-size birdcage observatory. Theyre delivering a human-size birdcage, which Ill put a brass telescope in.

Swift eventually would fill her koi pond with real koi. However, initially, she envisioned a different type of fish in her living room. While speaking with MTV, Swift shared that she actually wanted to fill the pond with stingrays. So what was it that changed the Amsterdam actors mind? It seems as if Swift was concerned about the smell theyd cause if she had more than a few. If there are only two of them, it wouldnt be much of an issue! Swift revealed. You get a Glade plug-in, and youre fine!

RELATED: Taylor SwiftMemorizes Choreography in the MostTaylor SwiftWay

Clearly, Swift seems to have a very imaginative and unique way of furnishing her home. In fact, it seems to be a passion for the I Bet You Think About Me singer. While speaking with SiriusXM, Swift shared that she often furnishes her friends homes. In fact, the Pennslyvania native shared that shed consider a career in interior decorating had she not found success as a musician.

I might have ended up following my passion for shopping for furniture and been an interior decorator, Swift revealed. Ive been known to, like, go into my friends apartments and fill it with furniture. And they get home and its like furnished. My friends, they dont like they dont buy furniture, and I love buying furniture.

RELATED: Taylor Swift Framed a Photo of That Infamous Moment With Kanye West

Read the rest here:
Taylor Swift's House Has a Koi Pond, But She Really Wanted Stingrays - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

The cast for Season 2 of Ryan Murphys FX anthology Feud is taking shape as several stars sign onto Capotes Women.

Originally meant to focus on Princess Diana and Prince Charles, this second long-awaited entry will instead focus on the tension between Truman Capotes friends and members of New York high society. Excerpts from the writers unfinished novel Answered Prayers will be used in the tell-all about the citys elite.

Debuting in 2017 with Feud: Bette and Joan, the first season focused on the rivalry between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis during the making of the 1962 film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon led the cast of the first entry.

This time around, Naomi Watts and Chlo Sevigny are leading the season and according to Variety, theyll be joined by Tom Hollander, Diane Lane, and Calista Flockhart. Below, were putting the stars side-by-side with their onscreen counterparts for a glimpse at what viewers can anticipate.

Scroll down for a peek at the cast and the real-life figures theyll be portraying.

Feud, Season 2, TBA, FX

The rest is here:
'Feud: Capote's Women': How Does the Cast Compare to Their Real-Life Counterparts? (PHOTOS) - TV Insider

A Shelly Rosenbergdesigned accessible bedroom for the 2021 Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Dallas, inspired by 7-year-old Virginia. Photography by Danny Piassick

Interior design may seem superfluous for families with extraordinary needs, but Dallas-based designer Shelly Rosenberg argues the opposite. Interior designers and architects actually have a bigger impact on your health and wellness than medical practitioners, because we spend so much of our time inside our homes, she reasons.

As a mom of three children with different learning styles and challenges, Rosenberg has spent more than 20 years making her house safe, comfortable, and optimized for their well-being. In 2019 she founded Acorn & Oak, which offers services to help parents design inclusive spaces for children with special needs, as well as organic weighted blankets and mattresses to help with sensory regulation. I just feel like this is truly my lifes work, she says.

For Rosenberg, designing adaptive and inclusive spaces is essential, not only for the person with the diagnosis but for all members of the family. As your child grows and youre out in public, you can start to see where the world isnt built as inclusively as we would like, she explains. Youre seeing a lot of physical barriers, but also emotional and mental barriers out in the real world. After a long day of maneuvering around public spaces that arent very equitable, going back to an accessible, toxin-free home provides ease and peace for everyone.

So how should you address the not-so-obvious issues to help make your home more inclusive? Rosenberg says that it goes back to the five senses.

The way a space looks is top of mind when it comes to interiors, but aesthetics are only part of the design equation. Sight is super-important because thats where most of us get a majority of our information, and we cant have sight without light, Rosenberg asserts. Light subconsciously speaks to our brain and tells it what to do: A bright blue glow alerts the nervous system to wake up; full-spectrum task lighting helps maintain focus; and warm red tones stimulate melatonin for relaxation. Adding a simple dimmer switch can help guide a childs behavior throughout the day.

Patterns and colors can also trigger different reactions. For an anxious child who is more of a sensory avoider than seeker, wild patterns and bright colors could negatively affect their safe, quiet space. Better to reserve those elements in a playroom where you want to encourage high energy.

Whether your child loves sensory stimulation or withdraws from it, Rosenberg recommends exposing them to different spaces to build their tolerance and flexibility in a world that isnt always inclusive or accessible. Visitors will benefit from the variety, too. Rosenberg explains, You might be a big family of stimulus seekers but, occasionally, youre going to have people come over who arent, so it might be nice to have an area where you can say, You know, this feels like its a little too much for you. Why dont we go in this room?

When her energy is spent, Rosenberg enjoys a bit of sensory deprivation in a low-light, silent spot. I want to completely check out at the end of the day, she says, laughing. Adding noise-dampening objects like rugs, drapery, and felt wall tiles can conjure a cavelike ambience.

On the flip side, dark and quiet can feel very uncomfortable to some people, she notes. They dont have any way of judging whats around them or whats going on, and that brings up a lot of fear. She recommends filling the void with music: Classical lullabies, even birdsong, can help deregulate bodies after a trip to the trampoline park. White noise is popular for sleep, but Rosenberg suggests subbing in lesser known brown noise, which is deeper and lower on the sound spectrum and has more variation (think: rolling waves or thunder).

The laundry, the dog, the steak cooking on the grillscents are all around us even if we dont register them. I feel like sometimes in our own homes, we get numb to different fragrances, says Rosenberg. But for someone who is especially sensory sensitive, even a floral candle can become overwhelming. Rosenberg suggests using a purifier to create a neutral environment: Not only will it remove errant odors, it will help eliminate invisible elements like mold, allergens, and toxic VOCs that come from carpeting, paint, plastic toys, and furnishings. Instead of artificial sprays, opt for the purest essential oils you can find, which can either energize (like eucalyptus or citrus scents) or calm (lavender is always popular) depending on your needs.

Another tip? Invite your best friend over to audit your home for problem areas with a fresh nose. Sometimes I have friends come over and go, Whats this or that? And Im like, You know what? I didnt even notice that, Rosenberg admits.

Babies love to explore their environments through their mouths and readily absorb everything they touch. Organic textiles and low-to-no-VOC furnishings reign supreme for new parents and high-needs households alike. For everyone else, Rosenberg says to think of water.

Purifying the water that comes into our homesand, ultimately, into our bodieshelps reduce the bacteria, heavy metals, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals that we get exposed to. This can be as simple as using a Brita filter for drinking water or as complex as installing a water-purification system (which Rosenberg says can cost roughly $3,000 and last up to 10 years). Its also worth noting that we soak in more when our pores are open, which tends to happen in a warm bath, so adding a filter for the showerhead and filling the tub that way is an easy, impactful switch.

What feels comforting to you isnt universal, especially for someone who is particularly sensitive to textures. Ive had plenty of clients say they cant stand wool or hate velvet, says Rosenberg. I have a mohair couch that I love because the fabric wears like iron and its luxurious and beautiful. All three of my kids say its prickly and they dont like it. Which textiles are by and large cozy yet safe? Rosenberg often opts for durable, organic fabrics like cotton and linen.

Weighted blankets are also great because they help release serotonin and melatonin to help kids (and grown-ups) wind down. Most are made with plastic pellets, but Acorn & Oaks are filled with hypoallergenic glass sand and constructed with GOTS-certified organic cotton. A travel version thats only five pounds is perfect for plane rides or post-park car rides. (One of Rosenbergs favorite therapies is deep-pressure stimulation, in which gentle pressure is applied to the body to relax the nervous system.)

Theres no need to gut renovate every room. Rosenberg suggests going slow, and in the meantime, tidying up where you can: More than ever, to have a little haven where you can really connectit is the stage that youre setting for the most intimate memories youll have in your life.

Link:
Designing Inclusive Spaces for Kids With Special Needs Goes Back to the 5 Senses - Domino

Country

United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People's Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People's Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People's Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People's Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People's Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People's Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People's Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, RevolutionaryPeople's Rep'c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People's RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People's RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People's Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People's RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

View post:
International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum parked in Chattanooga - Wilson Post