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WEST HARTFORD, Conn., April 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Global Information Inc. announces the addition of a new market research report "Outdoor Area and Street Lighting: Market Analysis and Forecast 2014" at GIIResearch.com

A worldwide push for LED outdoor lighting occurred in 2012, due in large part to various national and international political initiatives. 2 million LED luminaires were installed in tunnels and roadways during the year. Prices are forecasted to decline due to market competition. Energy consumption will continue to be a pressing issue as electricity cost and demand rise. The demand for more efficient and longer lasting LED lighting will continue to grow at an aggressive pace.

This insightful report analyzes the market for LED outdoor area and street lighting from 2010 to 2012 and offers a forecast through 2017.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Executive Summary Chapter 2: Scope and Definition Chapter 3: Overview and Background Chapter 4: Roadway Lighting Chapter 5: Area Lighting List of Tables and Figures

More detailed information is available at http://www.giiresearch.com/report/su293856-outdoor-area-street-lighting-market-analysis.html

Media Contact: Joe Malley, Global Information, Inc., 860-674-8796, US-marketing@gii.co.jp

News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com

SOURCE Global Information, Inc.

RELATED LINKS http://www.giiresearch.com

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Outdoor Area and Street Lighting: Market Analysis and Forecast 2014

CAMPTON HILLS When Mark Christensen first moved to his St. Charles home 30 years ago, he could see the Milky Way albeit faintly from his backyard.

You cant do that anymore, the Fox Valley Astronomical Society member said.

Christensen chalks the disappearing night sky up to too much development but said the situation isnt hopeless in Kane County with some effort.

Nearby Campton Hills is making that effort.

Five years after voters said they wanted the village to consider adopting a dark sky light ordinance, Campton Hills leaders have drafted a responsible outdoor lighting ordinance for new construction.

The Plan Commission recommended approval of the ordinance in January, but the Village Board has yet to act on the document. Village President Patsy Smith said last week that trustees are waiting for it to be reviewed by a professional.

Although the proposed ordinance is 18 pages, it can be summed up in three sentences:

Shine the light where you need it.

Dont use any more light than you need.

Turn off the lights when you dont need them.

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Campton Hills making efforts to preserve the night sky

AKRON, Ohio Chances are your lawn is looking a bit bedraggled after this rough winter.

Thats not surprising. Between brutally cold temperatures and drying winds, turf took a beating this year.

Probably it will come back just fine, but a little TLC can prevent problems, reverse damage and let your lawn green up faster, lawn care experts Melinda Myers and Joe Rimelspach said.

Heres what they recommend.

Prevent snow mold

Grass in the shade and other places where snow and ice linger is susceptible to snow mold, a fuzzy, pink or gray fungus that can damage or kill grass, said Myers, a horticulturist, garden writer and radio and TV host whose books include The Perfect Wisconsin Lawn and The Ohio Lawn Guide.

Snow mold likes moist environments, she said, so its a good idea to lightly rake grass in those vulnerable areas to fluff it and allow light and air to penetrate. A leaf rake will work fine, Myers said.

The crowns of the grass plants are still alive, so the grass can come back, said Rimelspach, a turf grass disease specialist at Ohio State University. But Myers recommended taking action now, before you see signs of fungus.

Most people notice it when the grass is dead, which is too late, she said.

Repair damage

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Expert tips to help your lawn bounce back

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You may not be able to do anything about the weather, but you can do something about the mess the winter may have left on your lawn.

Now that spring has sprung, homeowners are finding that the grass underneath all the brush and snow has been compacted down due to the heaviness of the snow.

Usually the snow comes and goes during the winter, said Carol McAlister, owner of Yard N Garden in Fenton. This winter, the snow came early while the grass was still growing in the fall, and it held on and got heavy.

In some areas, leftover snow actually smothered the grass underneath, causing snow mold, a fungal condition that should go away on its own in a few weeks, with regular fertilizing and proper mowing. Fertilizing will help it push through and outgrow the disease.

So now, its time to shake things up a bit by raking the grass gently. Its important that youre gentle with raking, because spring is a sensitive time of year for your yard. The soil is spongy, the plants are tender and weather is unpredictable.

Get the clippings off the grass, mulch it with your mower, and get things moving again, said Mike Fenton of Royalty Services, a full-service lawn company in Fenton. Then re-seed the grass where there are bare spots.

Cool-season grasses, dominant in the tri-county area, can be planted as soon as the air temperatures get into the 60s and soil temperatures are in the 50s. Make sure theres no frost, said Fenton. Plant as soon as temperatures allow, to give seedlings a chance to get established before hot weather hits.

After the grass is up, fertilize.

Fertilize, fertilize, fertilize, said Fenton. The first application can go on right now. Use a pre-emergent fertilizer to give it some new life and keep crabgrass from growing. Pre-emergent fertilizers work for about three months, so homeowners should plan to reapply again during the summer.

Begin mowing your lawn as soon as it needs it, but keep in mind that grass blades do best when you cut no more than a third of the blades length at a time.

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What to do (and not to do) to revitalize your grass

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AMES, Iowa Modern roses, such as hybrid teas, grandifloras and floribundas, are attractive additions to the home landscape. While roses are beautiful, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulturists say they do require good care.

Proper planting is critical. After planting, important cultural practices include watering, fertilizing, deadheading, weeding, pest control and winter protection. To have additional questions answered, contact Hortline at 515-294-3108 or hortline@iastate.edu.

I placed soil around the base of my hybrid tea roses in fall. When should I remove the soil?

Remove the soil in late March or early April in southern Iowa, mid-April in northern portions of the state. A frost or freeze in early spring wont harm the roses.

When should I prune hybrid tea roses in spring?

The upper portions of modern roses, such as hybrid teas, floribundas and grandifloras, typically winterkill due to exposure to low winter temperatures and extreme temperature changes. Gardeners should prune out the dead wood after the winter protection is removed from modern roses in late March to mid-April.

How should I prune hybrid tea roses in spring?

In early spring, all dead wood should be removed from hybrid tea and other modern roses. Identifying live and dead wood is easy. Live wood is green and has plump, healthy buds. When pruned, the center of the stem (pith) is white. Dead wood is brown and has no live buds. Its pith is brown or gray.

When pruning roses, make the cuts at least 1 inch below the dead, brown-colored areas on the canes. Make slanting cuts about one-fourth inch above healthy, outward-facing buds in the same direction as the bud. Remove the entire cane if there is no sign of life.

Because of the severe winter weather, hybrid tea, grandiflora and floribunda roses often suffer a great deal of winter damage. Normally, the primary objective of rosarians in the upper midwest is to remove all dead wood and save as much of the live tissue as possible. If roses suffer little winter damage because of a mild winter, prune the rose canes back to within 8 to 12 inches of the ground.

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Yard and Garden: Caring for roses

RAISED BEDS

These landscape helpers are simply aboveground, freestanding beds for any type of plantings. They provide a better growing area by literally lifting up plant roots so they aren't growing in clay, sand, rocks or weeds. Filling the beds with good-quality soil provides a place for plant roots to easily grow, which nets healthy plants, better blooms and a plentiful vegetable harvest. Drainage is better, the area warms up faster in the spring, and soil doesn't get compacted by foot traffic.

You can buy raised beds, but if you build it yourself, material costs can be very low, especially if using repurposed items. All you need is to design, build and then plant.

Designs are easy: a 4-foot square or 8-by-4-foot rectangular wooden box both work well. Height is usually 8 inches to 2 feet or taller. Current research says the use of pressure-treated lumber with copper-based chemicals poses minimal risk to plant or people health. But if you have those concerns, line the inside with heavy plastic or use non-treated lumber (it'll still last many years).

You don't have to use wood. Stone, brick, recycled concrete, metal sheets or cinder blocks will work. Get creative! Match a raised bed style with your landscape style and sun conditions, and locate it away from tree roots. Find more ideas: diyhomedesignideas.com/garden/raised.php

If you're placing the raised bed directly over turf or a weedy area, turn over the soil leaving the roots turned up then tease open the clods with a garden fork to allow drainage. Then fill the frame with garden soil or layered materials. This layering is known as lasagna gardening, or sheet composting. Water the layers as you build it.

Start with 6 to 10 overlapped newspaper sheets, or one sheet of non-coated cardboard, then 2-3 inches of brown materials such as leaves, straw or chopped-up dead plant foliage (nondiseased). Next, add 2 inches of green materials like grass clippings mixed with kitchen vegetable scraps (no meat or fish) and coffee grounds. Top with 3 to 5 inches of finished soil (bagged or your own composted soil). Water it all in place; let it dry for a few days, then you're ready to plant. See more about sheet mulching at blogs.cornell.edu/garden/sheet-mulching/

Larger raised beds will require lots of soil, so consider bringing it in bulk, measured by the cubic yard. Ask about the various mixes and whether they are well-composted or aged.

Once the soil is filled in place, water it several times so any excess fertilizers or salts from the bulk or bagged soil will move down through the soil.

LAWNS

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Colorado Garden to-do list for April 18-24

(credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Spring is the perfect time of year to start thinking about planting a garden. With a warm, mild climate and plenty of sunshine, the Peninsula is the perfect environment for growing most plants. Certified Edible Landscape and Master Gardener Mike Klein shares an overview of some of the main things to consider before planting. Use Kleins tips and make this year the year you start your dream garden.

Mike Klein is both a Master Gardener and Certified Edible Landscape Gardener with the UCCE Master Gardeners of San Mateo and San Francisco County. To become certified, Master Gardeners spend 14 weeks learning about everything from botany and soil science to plant pathology and pruning, and they must also annually volunteer hours sharing their knowledge with other local gardeners. See the UCCE website for planting guides and localized regional gardening tips.

Klein says the number one thing to consider when starting a garden is the geography of the yard. First, analyze where the sun rises and sets. Where does the yard get sun? Does the house face north, south, east or west? It is important to ensure the right plant is selected for the right place. For instance, heat-loving palms shouldnt be placed in a shady north-facing yard, while tender ferns would suffer in the direct sun and heat of a south-facing yard.

It is also important to consider the water and soil of the yard. Consider drainage and the requirements of the plants you want to grow in order to choose the best location for them. It is also important to take note of the yards soil. Is it hard clay or loose sand? A good rule of thumb is always to amend garden soil with some quality organic compost, as it typically contains a well-rounded variety of nutrients that help plants thrive.

Decide on the type of plants to grow. Does your dream garden include vegetables, year-round color, large trees or masses of annual flowers for visual appeal? Also consider theme gardens like a butterfly or hummingbird garden, as well as if the garden will be used for entertaining, relaxation or as a kids play area. All of these can influence appropriate plant choices to maximize a gardens enjoyment.

Dont be afraid to take risks and try something new. If theres something youve always been curious about growing, why not go out on a limb and take a chance on it? Even with gardening failures, there is always a learning experience, whether its how to better care for the plant or perhaps the location of a better planting spot. Always wanted to try growing potatoes or have a bulb garden? Throw some in the ground. What is there to lose besides a few dollars? Klein suggests to keep in mind that gardening is supposed to be fun. Dont worry about making mistakes or failures, and dont be afraid to take risks.

In response to our recent drought conditions in California, many gardeners are looking for ways to still enjoy growing things while also being responsible and conserving water. Klein says water-conscious gardeners can choose water-wise plants such as California natives, or plants that grow in Mediterranean areas, South Africa and Australia and thrive in drier conditions.

Other great ways to reduce water usage in the garden includes lawn removal and making use of drip irrigation systems and mulch. According to Klein, removing a lawn is the number one way to reduce water consumption. He suggests replacing a lawn with an attractive rock or native plant garden, or even a handful of fruit trees which will have the added bonus of delicious fresh fruit in addition to a lower water bill. Drip irrigation system supplies are simple to install, and supplies can be readily located at local Home Depot or Lowes stores. Mulching the ground around plants not only aids in stemming water evaporation, but also reduces weed growth.

Joanna Metheny is a freelance writer covering all things South Bay. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.

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Ask A Peninsula Expert: How To Start Your Dream Garden