Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Middletowns welcome mat is about to get a face lift.

City Council approved a $941,000 contract Tuesday night with the Ohio Department of Transportation to construct improvements to the Interstate 75/Ohio 122 interchange in the East End.

The project is consistent with the recommendation of the Gateway Enhance Plan from four years ago and includes roadway lighting, 190 trees, 1,800 shrubs and decorative pylons, Scott Tadych, public works and utilities director, told council.

Federal grants will pay for most of the project while the city will be responsible for $335,000, he said. The money will come from the Capital Improvement Program ($175,000), Water Capital Reserve Fund ($36,000), Storm Water Capital Reserve Fund ($39,000) and the Towne Mall/Hospital Tax Increment Financing Fund ($85,100), he said.

Tadych said it was an emergency resolution because the legislation is due to ODOT today.

He said work is scheduled to begin in July and be complete by the end of the year.

Mayor Lawrence Mulligan Jr. said it was great to see the project moving forward.

Also, council heard a first reading of an ordinance that assessed residents and businesses along South Main Street, in the citys historic district, $222,000 for the installation of decorative street lighting between First Avenue and Ninth Avenue.

Tadych said those who received the lights either can pay their share or have the cost added to their tax bills for 10 years, starting in 2015. The assessments will be divided among the properties based on the property values, he said.

Earlier, the South Main Street Historic Neighborhood Association requested the lighting, and the work that also included a sidewalk, curb and gutter program and pavement resurfacing was completed.

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Middletown OKs I-75/Ohio 122 enhancement project

Now you are ready to seed your lawn. If the planting area has been leveled smooth and all debris has been removed along with the end of construction activity --- you are now ready to seed your lawn. LETS GET STARTED!

Determine the amount of grass seed you will need for your lawn. You can use the chart at http://www.lawngrasses.com or look on the seeding page for your particular lawn grass species. Once you have the seed and are ready to start --- Continue on to Step (1)

NOTE: COMMERCIAL CONTRACTORS OFTEN USE A METHOD CALLED HYDROSEEDING

PLANTING METHODS -- How can I plant grass seeds? SEASON TO PLANT -- When can I plant seeds?

This method can help avoid erosion problems and is an efficient way to seed large areas of turf. For more about seeding with this method, read our page above.

Step (1) Your lawn area should be already tilled with all roots , weeds and other debris removed . Secondly the final level smooth surface should have been obtained. If not, now is the time to remove hills and depressions so that you have a nice smooth lawn for years to come.

Step (2) Plant the seeds. You can use a commercial turfgrass planter or sow the seeds by hand (not recommended), or just as easy and much preferred, buy a broadcast seeder (hand held models are available for $8-30). Set the seed for the correct seed application rate. Remember, you can always seed a second or third time, but it is pretty hard to pick up the seed you broadcast if you only planted 1/3 of your lawn and ran out of seed.

We suggest you use a 2-step PLANTING process... Divide your seed into two equal quantities. Set your seeder rate so that you will cover the entire lawn with 1/2 of the total seed. You will need to determine how far the seeder is throwing the seed as you walk. An ideal use is to walk in a pattern that allows double coverage (seeding) of all areas. Most seeders come with instructions that explain this planting principal.

Plant the first 1/2 of the seed walking in one direction with your seeder. Then plant the second 1/2 of the seed walking in a direction 90 degrees to the first time. This double spreading provides for a more uniform broadcasting of your seeds and also insures that you get complete coverage of your lawn area. Always sow lawn seeds at the recommended rates. Good quality lawns require lots of seeds in order to achieve the correct plant density. You will save very little money by cheating on the quantity of seeds to plant.

Step (3) Once your seeds are sowed, rake or drag the seeded area, so that as many of the seeds as possible are lightly covered (1/4 inch is ideal covering for grasses). Be sure and use the correct rate for seeding your particular lawn seed. You can also drag a small fence post or preferably a piece of chain link fencing behind a mower, 4 wheeler or tractor. This will drag the soil so as to cover your grass seed. Not every seed will be covered by these methods, but a large quantity of them will, and over time soil and wind action will also work to cover additional seeds.

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Seeding your Lawn With Grass Seed - Plant Grass Seed In A Lawn

Regionally Designed Grass Blends

Our team of golf course experts have specially designed blends for each region of the united states. The following considerations were made during the design process for each regional mix:

The first thing to determine is whether you live in a region with a climate that is best for a warm-season grass or a cool-season grass. Warm-season species are heat tolerant but they go dormant quickly once the temperature starts to drop. Cool-season speciees do very well in cool or cold weather, but they require a lot of irrigation to stay green in high summer temperatures. Once you have determined the best grass seed type for your climate, you can then select the appropriate species based on your needs and preferences.

Natures Seed offers only the highest quality grass seed, with no filler products, and we have created a number of blends that can establish beautiful grass lawns in a variety of environments.

We are experts when it comes to seed and we know that different parts of a state require different seed blends. Click the following links to go to a state specific page:

Click the link for more information about how to choose the right grass seed.

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Grass Seeds - Premium Grass Seed | Natures Seed

When seeding a lawn, you want to start with the best soil possible. If it is a new area of lawn, you want to use a minimum of 4 to 6 inches of topsoil. You should have all of your soil delivered and then spread it on top of your existing soil. It is also good idea to use a rototiller and till it into the existing soil. Seeding a lawn requires careful preparation of the soil. If you decide to use new soil, use a soil roller to roll over on your lawn until you no longer see any footprints. Then, you want to over seed your lawn either by using a drop spreader or a Rotary spreader.

When seeding a lawn, make sure to follow the directions as indicated on the package to get the best results. You need 3-4 times more seed with a new lawn then you need if you are just over seeding. Different types of grass seed come in different sizes, so the rate of application will vary, based on the size of the seed and the amount of ground you want to cover. Youll want to apply about 7-10 pounds of grass seed per thousand square feet for new lawn installation and about 2-3 pounds per square foot when you are over seeding. (Kentucky Bluegrass requires less seed.)

Lawn experts recommend you get a soil test before applying lawn seed to decide whether your soil is too acidic. If you are adding topsoil from a nursery , youre probably okay without doing a soil test. Most nurseries that deliver soil will usually have pretty good quality. If you are just doing lawn seeding to fix spots or parts of your lawn that are sparse, rather than seeding a new lawn, you want to make sure to use a layer of light topsoil as a dressing, or else use peat moss to cover-up the seed and help it to germinate more quickly. This help to keep the lawn seed moist, but it will also help keep birds from devouring it. I always recommend that you put down starter fertilizer at the same time you are seeding lawn. The advantage of using starter fertilizers that helps the grass to establish itself faster, this often leads to better results, because you dont have to continue watering your lawn three times a day to have good results. Once the lawn seed has grown in, you can water your lawn at the same amount you normally would.

When to Seed Lawn Lawn Seeding

It is important to know when to seed lawn to get the best results. Essentially, there are two different types of grasses. Warm weather grasses tend to do really well when you plant them in the spring time or the early summer. This is probably the best time of year for you to plant a new lawn. Cool weather grasses can do just fine in the spring, (if you are careful about the weeds) but they also do really well during the fall. If you are planting this type of grass seed, you want to either planted in the beginning of the spring, or in the beginning of the fall. (* I just completed reading two books that said to over seed your grass in the fall if it is cool weather grass. However, after having eight years of landscaping experience in Portland, Seattle, and Idaho, I think that the spring time works just as great for cool weather grasses!)

When You Learn How to Seed Lawn, You Want to Wait out the Weeds

When you are seeding a lawn, you want to be very careful about weeds. As a general rule, you can wait out or you can use a mild weed killer to get rid of them. Once you have your soil ready, a lot of people will wait 7 to 10 days for weeds to germinate. Then, they will go out and either spray the weeds, or just hoe them out. If you do this a couple of times, you will get rid of all of your weeds. (Dont use apre-emergent(like Preen) on your weeds, or else your grass wont grow!) Advantages of Seeding a Lawn Vs Using Sod

The biggest advantage of using lawn seed instead of sod is that it is a lot less expensive. Your typical sod will cost anywhere from .20 per square foot to .50 just for the material. If you want a contractor to prepare your lawn and install the sod, you could easily be looking at paying $2-$3 per square foot. This means that 1000 ft. long will probably end up costing you around $2500. Including the soil preparation, you can probably install 1000 ft. of lawn seed for around $200 if you do the work yourself. Lawn seeding can save you a lot of money. Not only that, removing and installing sod is a lot of work. Did you know that sod weighs about three pounds per square foot. And a role of Sod that is 2 feet wide and 8 feet long, can weigh between 40 and 50 pounds.

How to Take Care of a New Lawn

Some books recommend that you cover your grass seed straw. This might work well with warm weather grasses, but with cool weather grasses, straw doesnt do a lot. I recommend that you use a light covering of peat moss. Generally you can cover 1000 ft. of lawn with about 8 ft. of peat moss. After your lawn seeded, cover it with a shallow top-dressing, make sure to water it regularly. You want to water at least twice a day, but if the weather gets over 70, consider watering your lawn three or four times per day. The grass doesnt come up right away. Generally it takes about a week for the seeds to germinate and then they start to grow into seedlings. It takes about 4 to 8 weeks for your new lawn to come in, depending on the type of grass you install and the temperature.

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Seeding a Lawn How to Seed a Lawn | Aerate Lawn

Provided By: National Gardening Association

Dorling Kindersley Limited 2011

Turfgrasses are broadly grouped as warm- or cool-season, based upon their optimum temperatures for growth. Generally it's best to use warm-season grasses such as Bermuda grass, centipede grass, St. Augustine grass and zoysia in southern areas (their best growth occurs above 80 degrees F). Use cool-season grasses such as fescues, Kentucky bluegrass and perennial rye grass, in northern areas (their best growth happens between 60 degrees and 75 degrees F). Choose grasses that require less water, such as Bermuda grass, buffalo grass and the improved tall fescues, for dry-climate lawns. Tip: For an attractive winter lawn while the permanent grasses are dormant, overseed warm-season Bermuda grass or zoysia lawns with fast-germinating perennial rye grass seed in mid-October.

Before seeding, spread a 2- to 3-inch-layer of compost, either dolomitic limestone or sulfur, to adjust pH as necessary, and organic or slow-release fertilizer. Use the results of a soil test to determine the correct amount of limestone or sulfur to apply. Mix these amendments into the soil with a rototiller.

Rake and level the tilled soil, adjusting the soil level to eliminate high and low spots and to slope soil away from buildings. Roll with a heavy water-filled lawn roller to make a firm bed for planting the seed.

Adjust spreader to apply seeds at one-half the recommended rate on the package. Sow seed by walking back and forth across the lawn, overlapping rows by an inch or two. Then, walk at right angles to the first sowing to apply the second half of the seed. Roll the seedbed again.

Cover lightly with mulch, such as chopped straw, to maintain soil moisture and deter birds from eating sprouted seed. Avoid hay mulch that contains weed seeds. Water with a sprinkler as needed to keep the soil uniformly moist until seeds germinate and become firmly established. Begin mowing with a sharp-bladed lawnmower when grass is about 1/3 taller than the desired lawn height. Caution: Avoid using weed-and-feed fertilizer because it may damage newly sprouting grass.

Welcome to the new HGTVGardens. Leave your comments, questions and feedback here.

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Seeding a Lawn - HGTV Gardens Design Ideas, Expert ...

JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. A big truck, strength and knowledge of a job site. Thats what deputies say someone had to have in order to make off with more than 1,200 pounds of grass and wildflower seed, meant to complete a roadside project at the Interstate 35-Homestead Lane interchange.

Rick Clark is a superintendent with RFB Construction. He told FOX4s Megan Dillard hes in charge of the seeding for this project. He said, in the 18 years hes done this type of work, hes never had anything stolen like that off of a job site.

Shock, disappointment. It affects everything. The equipment, anything we have to profit, goes back into the company, along with guys raises, bonuses, is now shot on this job, Clark explained.

Johnson County deputies say someone stole nearly $30,000 worth of seed. Someone took 16 bags of grass seed and sixbags of wildflower seed from the job site, sometime between 8 p.m. Tuesday and 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. Each bag weighed nearly 60 pounds, and come at a heavy cost as well.

The highway department mixes those together, puts them out here on the interchange, grass down for erosion control. That seed is specially formulated. Its very expensive,Detective Brett Wilson explained.

Clark explained how he learned something on the job site went wrong.

One of the workers came over and told me. I sent him over to get the seed this morning so we could finish up here and on the other side, and he said that it was gone, he said.

Clark says the seed blend is specific to certain job sites, making it a waste for someone to steal the seed.

It was more or less a waste for someone else to use it, unless it was some individual seeding their house or something like that, which if they did, they got a lot of seed, Clark said. Everything that weve got is certified for this job. Our search has to match. Everything we do is certified, all our seeds are, everything has to be tested. If anyone went to resell it or use it, theyd have to have paperwork to do anything with the state.

Police want to remind the public, it is taxpayer money that funds these projects.

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Almost $30,000 worth of taxpayer money in grass, wildflower seed stolen

In the U.S., St. Augustine grass is found from the Carolinas to Florida and westward along the Gulf Coast to Texas and in Southern and Central California. Because of its lack of winter hardiness, St. Augustine grass is restricted to areas with mild winter temperatures.

After establishment the success of St. Augustine grass as a lawn grass depends largely on management. Mowing, fertilization and supplemental watering are required to maintain a dense, green, weed-free turf of St. Augustine grass.

Mowing heights may range from 1 to 3 inches depending on the frequency of mowing and the degree of shade present. At mowing heights below two inches, St. Augustine grass should be mowed every five days during late spring and summer. At a 2 1/2 inch mowing height, a 7-10 mowing schedule is adequate. Above 2 1/2 inches, St. Augustine grass should be mowed at 10 to 14 day intervals. In moderate to dense shade, St. Augustine grass should be mowed at about 3 inches at 10 day intervals.

Each pallet of Raleigh St. Augustine sod covers approximately 450 Square Feet and contains approximately 160 pieces of sod

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Get a Free Quote from GrassSod.com (All Fields are Required)

Tilehurst Residents and Community Association organised the event which boasted eight live bands, a funfair, more than 20 real ales on sale, food from all over the world and 80 gazebos with arts, crafts, games, sideshows and much more

The third Tilehurst Festival went off in a blaze of glory and sunshine on Sunday as 8,000 people flocked to Prospect Park to enjoy the fun.

Tilehurst Residents and Community Association (TRACA) organised the event which boasted eight live bands, a funfair, more than 20 real ales on sale, food from all over the world and 80 gazebos with arts, crafts, games, sideshows and much more.

The festival also hosted the fourth Reading Chilli Cook-Off.

Rob Stringer, who chairs the Tilehurst Festival committee, said: It was a great day. We had no problems with the weather, in fact we had fantastic weather.

People came from all over Tilehurst and West Reading around 8,000 altogether.

And given the size of the event, there was no trouble at all.

Everyone there was very happy and smiley and there to enjoy themselves.

The free event was run this year to raise money for two charities, Arthros and Muscular Dystrophy Thames Valley, and to pay for outings and events in Tilehurst for the community.

Tilehurst Festival

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Tilehurst Festival goes off in a blaze of glory and sunshine

DENMARK Voorhees College is one of 13 Historically Black Colleges and Universities to win a $10,000 Tier II grant in The Home Depots 2014 Retool Your School Campus Improvement Grant Program.

Voorhees win will allow the institution to beautify the campus with additional assorted flowers, shrubbery, trees, planters, a drip line irrigation system, garden benches and gazebos.

We thank everyone who supported our efforts and voted for Voorhees throughout the competition. We would also like to thank The Home Depot for partnering with us to promote healthy living and learning for our students and all the constituents we serve, said Marcus Burgess, vice president of institutional advancement.

According to the competition rules, Voorhees was selected based on relevance to the proposal requirements; completeness of the proposal; ability to execute the project within the budget; ability of the project to make lasting, positive transformations on the campus that are noticeable; use of sustainable, eco-friendly and/or energy-saving materials and online voting score.

After the completion of the project, it is our hope that we can create a more welcoming and refreshing meditative space for students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends to gather, connect with nature and reenergize their spiritual being, Burgess said.

To see a complete listing of all the 2014 Retool Your School Campus Improvement Grant Program winners, visit http://www.retoolyourschool.com/2014-winners/.

For more information, contact Teesa Brunson, communications director, at 803-780-1194 or tbrunson@voorhees.edu.

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Voorhees wins $10,000 Retool Your School grant from Home Depot

To the editor:

What follows is a direct quote from the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution: (N)or shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. This, by Supreme Court fiat, includes regulatory takings.

This newspaper has branded those citizens who own property that just happens to be contiguous to Swansboro town limits as just freeloaders, and that because of geography relative to the town limits we are living on the cheap. This is repugnant! Is the mayor a king? Where in hell do individual rights fit into this?

The Tideland fails to mention that we enjoy county water service, road paving and maintenance, sheriff protection, and we do pay county property taxes, sales taxes, employment taxes, Obamacare tax, utility taxes, N.C. income taxes and Federal income taxes, just to name a few. And we are required by law to collect sales tax and income taxes with no compensation from any government. We provide jobs that pay good wages with benefits. We have created several million dollars to add to the local economy. We put up a small, temporary help wanted sign on N.C. 24. The townies confiscated it and demanded that we pay them $50. Non-compliance with the Gateway!

Many of these confiscations find their way back to Swansboro so that they may be squandered on nonsense like Sunset Park, or a marina that competes with another Swansboro business, or time wasted on a meaningless debate over building height, or gazebos, or a million dollars paid for the Catholic church property. Who in hell offered to buy Sunset for one million confiscated dollars and then lease it back for $1 a year? Now we have the Gateway mess that is a regulatory nightmare.

The Tideland failed to mention that there was a strong response to Swansboros attempt to confiscate property, and do so without providing sewer service while changing the zoning in very damaging ways. Our family business property would have been rezoned to residential, as would four or five other business properties. No reason for this change was given.

This arbitrary rezoning alone would severely damage our ability to obtain bank financing, severely damage the value of the business and make it impossible to sell if we chose to do so. The rezoning would require a new permit if the property were to suffer damage of 50 percent or more, so if the property is rezoned residential then we are screwed. We are a business!

My response was to threaten a suit for damages caused by a regulatory taking, and I had a very strong case. It would be fairly easy to show how this taking would reduce values.

Mr. Richard Banks, code enforcement officer at the time, listened and realized the stupidity behind this abuse of power. The property was not rezoned. The property is in the ETJ but subject to only building code regulation. That is the way it should have been, but the townies had other plans that they preferred to keep to themselves.

In the meantime, the N.C. state legislature was addressing the abuses of ETJ. I communicated with the committee in charge and urged them to create some balance within this legislation. Give the landowner some power to fight back. I was not alone. The legislature has spoken. Maybe now the townies will show some respect for the law and for individual rights.

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Individual rights trump 'takings'