Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

By Julie Moore Master Gardener May 29, 2014 4:10PM

This mature backyard landscape design features a beautiful mixture of plant materials, colors and textures that create privacy. | Courtesy of Julie Moore

storyidforme: 67069916 tmspicid: 23905940 fileheaderid: 11747386

A landscape design requires the right tools, and the first ones to pick up are a pencil and paper. A well thought-out plan will be your guide and should result in a more successful project than one that is done piecemeal.

If this sounds daunting, it doesnt need to be, according to Richard Hentschel, University of Illinois Extension educator in horticulture.

The landscape design should draw the eye to the front door, Hentschel notes of the front yard. This can be done using walkway and garden-bed designs that lead the eye to it. Walkways should be wide enough to accommodate two people and can be curved or straight, based on a casual or more formal outcome to be achieved.

The plant beds created need to be large enough to support the desired plantings.

In the backyard, Hentschel says to take inventory of the areas your family will need.

Will the yard be one with a lot of activity or more passive? Do you need a kids play area, or spaces for entertainment, adult recreation, gardening interest or storage needs?

The next step in the design process is a site analysis.

View original post here:
Master Gardeners: Plan landscape on paper before planting

Published: Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at 6:53 p.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at 6:56 p.m.

We need trees for many, many reasons. Ecologically, trees reduce air pollution filtering the air we breathe. Leaves absorb ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide and release precious oxygen. Storm water runoff is greatly reduced as trees intercept the water even reducing flooding possibilities.

Trees provide homes for wildlife and, of course, tree houses for us. The benefits of trees economically, environmentally and socially is overwhelming.

Probably the benefit that most of us think about first is shade. Strategically placed trees can cut down on cooling bills in the summer. I dont know of many people who place their picnic table out in an open area. No, we find picnic tables under trees ... in the shade. While you may think this article is about trees, its not. Its about shade, the shade trees provide in our landscapes.

Many phone calls come in this time of year pertaining to lawns. Some are questions about weed infestations, but a lot have to do with moss moss overtaking the lawn.

This is a bit of tale moss is not actually taking over the lawn. Rather, moss grows in conditions that arent favorable for the growth of lawns. Lucky us, nature plants a ground cover where are grasses do not grow well.

Dani Carroll is the regional extension agent for home grounds, gardens, and home pests for Etowah County.

Mosses are small, green, primitive plants that have reduced leaves and a mass of fine, threadlike stems. Mosses produce their own food and do not take steal nutrients and water from our lawn grasses.

Mosses are able to absorb nutrients directly from the air when the humidity is right. They form a low green mat atop the soil an excellent ground cover. I, personally, love the light, almost lime green color of some of our mosses. There are more than 400 species of moss (liverworts and algae, too) that grow in the Southeastern U.S. Many homeowners may gasp at the thought of moss growing in the landscape, but it is quite beautiful and has been a part of Japanese gardens for years. Feel lucky if you have moss growing, it is a good bio-indicator of air and water quality.

Dani Carroll is the regional extension agent for home grounds, gardens, and home pests for Etowah County.

See original here:
EXTENSION CORNER: Moss can be beautiful, but it's not in everyone's landscape plans

One of the joys of attending garden tours is seeing how other gardeners creativity can make their yard into a personal expression.

So, grab a camera and attend the Muskogee Garden Tour on June 7 and get some new ideas for sun, shade and poolside.

Homeowners Leslie and Randy Scott have spent a few years transforming their front, back and side yards into a relaxing spot for friends and family.

We started in the fall of 2010 with a plan by Steven Williams Landscape in Tulsa, Leslie Scott said. What I like about the plants he selected is that once they are established, they take little water and care.

When you first arrive at the Scotts home, you are treated to their pleasingly landscaped front yard on a corner lot. Look for azaleas, oak leaf hydrangea, crape myrtle, boxwood, leatherleaf viburnums, mugo pines and Otto Luyken laurels.

The Otto Luyken laurel is a dwarf variety of English laurel that is hardy in zones 6 to 9.

The bees like the white flower spikes, and the birds enjoy the black berries on the Laurel, Scott said. I like to plant things that bring birds into our yard.

Immediately out the back door of the Scott home is an outdoor kitchen with an entertainment area and swimming pool.

When we bought the house, the lawn was filled with 40-year old sweet gum trees that we had to remove, Scott said.

Other structures in the back yard include the pool house and a potting shed where Leslie stores the mower, tools, pots, etc. Randy takes care of the mowing, and Leslie prunes and continues to add plants. A large potting cart sits by the shed.

See more here:
Scott garden one of four on Muskogee Garden Tour

Conservationists are demanding the Queensland Government investigate concerns about illegal clearing in the state's north.

The Wilderness Society says it is worried bulldozing of a 30,000-hectare area in the Gilbert River catchment began before a permit was issued.

Queensland campaigner Karen Touchie says the State Government is failing to properly regulate clearing of native vegetation.

"This is at its heart a very special catchment in northern Australia that's under extreme threat from both this land clearing that we're talking about today but also another project," she said.

"Together those two projects look to clear around about 200,000 hectares of land.

"What's worrying is basically it seems to demonstrate that the Queensland Government is entirely unable to do even basic due diligence either in terms of what land is suitable for agriculture in that catchment or indeed what landholders may be doing on their land in terms of clearing."

The clearing was approved under new vegetation management regulations in Queensland designed to make way for high-value agriculture projects.

Ms Touchie says there is evidence suggesting clearing might have begun before a permit was granted.

"We did a flyover of the catchment earlier this year and just visually we're slightly concerned at the maturity of the crop given that the approval for clearing had just been given," she said.

"We then went back and sourced some public satellite imagery. On the basis of that imagery it seems to us that there's a high probability that clearing may have occurred prior to the Queensland Government approving the clearing."

Original post:
Conservationists fear land for project in Gilbert River catchment cleared before permit issued

29 May 2014| last updated at 11:52PM

KUALA LUMPUR: ONE million residents in Wangsa Maju may face a water crisis soon if two developers do not stop illegal earthworks on their land.

The clearing of land on a Class Three hill slope has resulted in the pollution of Sungai Gombak.

The river supplies water to the Wangsa Maju treatment plant.

Due to land clearing, muddy surface run-off is flowing into Sungai Lalang and Sungai Salak. These two tributaries flow into Sungai Gombak, turning it muddy.

This had led to the closure of the Wangsa Maju water treatment plant from March 3 to May 13.

The plant supplies water to close to one million residents in the area.

Luckily for the residents, their water supply was not disrupted as they were getting water from the Klang Gate Dam.

Gombak District and Land Office district officer Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan said the Wangsa Maju treatment plant will need to be closed again if there are more downpours.

"If the hill slope is not rectified, then Sungai Gombak will continue to be polluted and the water treatment plant will not be able to process the water from the river," he said.

See more here:
Surface runoff muddies Sg Gombak

Houzz Pros: Designer Doyle McCullar Highlights His Favorite Elements in a Modern San Francisco Home
http://www.houzz.com/ Interior designer Doyle McCullar gives a brief tour highlighting some of his favorite materials and furnishings in a modern San Francisco home.

By: HouzzTV

Read more:
Houzz Pros: Designer Doyle McCullar Highlights His Favorite Elements in a Modern San Francisco Home - Video

Meet CreativeLive Artist-in-Residence: Madeline Trait
Meet multi-disciplinary artist and entrepreneur, Madeline Trait. Madeline is the first CreativeLive artist-in-residence and in this conversation with Rick Silvestrini she discusses how she...

By: CreativeLive

More here:
Meet CreativeLive Artist-in-Residence: Madeline Trait - Video

Interior designers, flooring specialists and other home improvement experts will be under one roof this weekend, offering products and tips to South Floridians seeking to give their homes a fresh, new look.

The annual Fort Lauderdale Home Design and Remodeling Show begins Friday and continues through Sunday at the Broward County Convention Center at 1950 Eisenhower Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale.

This year's event touts 750 booths, including exhibits from hurricane window suppliers, custom cabinet makers, kitchen and bath remodeling firms and more.

Amelia Rozas, an interior designer serving customers across South Florida, will host seminars each day showing attendees how to best display art around their homes.

"A lot of people struggle with that," the Miami-based designer said. "They don't know what will be the right placement, how to work it with dcor, the right framing, scale. People sometimes pick something too big or too small for their space."

Architect, designer and TV personality John Gidding, host of HGTV's "Curb Appeal," also will be on site Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to talk about his experience with clients around the world.

The home design and remodeling show held at the Broward convention center since 1991 attracted about 50,000 visitors last year.

Organizers are hopeful this year's show also will draw large crowds, considering South Florida's recent recovering housing market.

"When there's a real estate boom, the home improvement market also booms," said Sharon Berube, spokeswoman for the Fort Lauderdale Home Design and Remodeling Show. "Those two things tend to go hand in hand. We anticipate we'll see even more attendance this year as people are feeling more confident about investing in their homes."

mvalverde@tribune.com, 954-356-4526, Twitter @MiriamValverde

Originally posted here:
Annual Fort Lauderdale home show returns Friday

(PRWEB) May 29, 2014

Crystorama Lighting and Libby Langdon announced today new collections that reflect the interior designers easy, elegant style.

Langdon, whose designer skills and extensive portfolio have been featured in numerous consumer magazines and national television programs, has a signature style that combines classic lines with chic, modern twists to complement contemporary lifestyles.

Crystorama has a history of quality craftsmanship inspired by the world around us, said Brad Kleinberg, president of Crystorama Lighting. The new Libby Langdon for Crystorama collections combine our lighting expertise with Libbys interior design experience for beautiful, elegant lighting that will light up any home.

In her first lighting licensing partnership, Libby Langdon is introducing three Crystorama collections: Jennings, Masefield, and Sylvan.

The Jennings Collection offers dynamic design, stunning light spread and just the right amount of bling. Jennings features a chic and timeless polished nickel pattern that gives a graphic feel without overpowering a space. The Jennings pattern is a best-selling Langdon original. An inner linen shade adds texture while a diffuser softens the light. Jennings is offered in five fixtures; large and small pendants, wall sconces, a semi-flush ceiling mount.

Im thrilled with the look of the Jennings Collection, Langdon said. Its a soft geometric pattern that looks modern and fresh but is rooted in classic design. My goal was to design a collection with an updated look that will be relevant for many years. I really love the way the pattern is highlighted differently throughout the various fixtures. The large pendant shows the full scale version of the pattern whereas the wall sconce and the ceiling mount highlight a section of the pattern, allowing people to use several pieces from the same collection in the same space without it feeling too matchy-matchy.

The Masefield Collection was inspired by the many clients Libby works with that want a classic yet fashion forward look. The bamboo frames of the fixtures gain a fresh perspective with an angular, sleek inner shade and an Olde Silver finish. The Masefield Collection is a new take on timeless design elements and the perfect balance between form and function. Masefield is offered in seven fixtures; large and small pendants, wall sconces, ceiling mounts.

I find that bamboo can live beautifully in many different environments, Langdon said. It crosses the line between modern and classic. The shapes in the Masefield Collection will appeal to many different homeowners. This collection would work just as well with what I call a Modern Preppy style spaces infused with bright colors and geometric patterns as well as in more traditional rooms. I look forward to seeing how designers and homeowners will take this collection and put their own spin on it.

The Sylvan Collection was created for homeowners who love lighting that is grand in scope but not clunky and oversized. Sylvan is the perfect combination of traditional and contemporary. The sleek lines and angular detail of the outer frame is softened by the texture of the shades and the curved lines of the arms. This collection features graceful, sloping, polished nickel arms and white linen shades. Sylvan is offered in three fixtures; two chandeliers and a wall sconce.

Read the original:
Crystorama Lighting, Interior Designer Libby Langdon to Debut Lighting Collections at June Dallas Market

Elmont, New York (PRWEB) May 29, 2014

Total Security Integrated Systems, the leading New York installer of home alarm systems throughout New York City and Long Island, now shares four ways that installing a burglar alarm system in your home can reap big benefits on your insurance rates.

Home Security:

Home owners can receive up to 15% off their insurance policy (depending on the provider) if they have a home security system installed. Rates vary and will depend on the area's crime rates. For example, a home owner living in a low crime area, such as quiet neighborhood close to a fire station, will experience lower insurance rates than a high crime area.

Fire Safety:

Many insurance companies will offer discounts for home owners that take action to enhance their fire safety. They tend to favor homeowners and business owners who install fire protection, carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, fire escapes, heat detectors, sprinkler system and fire extinguishers.

Home Maintenance:

Renovated and newly built houses may qualify for an insurance discount. A homeowner who installs new pipes or fencing around a pool area may qualify. A house that has a hail resistant roof and is classified as a class 4 may also receive a discount. In addition, a house can be eligible for an age of wiring discount, depending on how long ago it was installed.

Cheaper Insurance Rates:

Business and homeowners can receive lower insurance rates if they invest in a security system from Total Security. However, homeowners are advised to shop around independently for the best rates before purchasing insurance for their home or business.

Read the original:
Home Alarm Company on Long Island, Total Security, Shares Four Key Insurance Benefits of Installing a Burglar Alarm ...