Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

BY STEVE METSCH smetsch@southtownstar.com February 20, 2014 8:42PM

Oak Lawn optometrist Casey Hogan is ready to again take the annual Polar Plunge into Lake Michigan on March 2 to raise money for Special Olympics Chicago. | Steve Metsch~Sun-Times Media

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Updated: February 21, 2014 2:15AM

Casey Hogan is ready to again plunge into the chilly waters of Lake Michigan on the first Sunday of March, just as she has for the past eight years.

Once you do it, youre kind of hooked. When you think of how youre helping the athletes, its a no-brainer, she said.

Hogan, an optometrist who has a practice, Advanced Eye Care Professionals, 10320 Cicero Ave., Oak Lawn, is urging co-workers, patients and anyone she meets to do the same.

This years 14th annual Chicago Polar Plunge will raise funds for the Special Olympics, and Hogan, a Tinley Park resident, soon will become the president of the Chicago chapter of the organization.

Ive been on the board now since 05 or 06. ... This year, despite the weather, were not nervous at all. We have our first Chicago mayor, Rahm Emanuel, doing the plunge, Hogan said.

Last year, (Oak Lawn) Mayor Sandy Bury did it while she was campaigning. She just wanted to support the cause, she said.

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Oak Lawn optometrist urges everyone to take the Polar Plunge

Lawn Mowing and healthy lawn tips from Premier Lawn Care
Lawn mowing and how to have and maintain a healthy lawn suggestions from Premier Lawn Care.

By: Brandon Imhoff

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Lawn Mowing and healthy lawn tips from Premier Lawn Care - Video

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) February 21, 2014

After being battered by snow all winter, Philadelphians are ready to think about lawn care and hiring a lawn service. Comparing price quotes can be confusing. Prices often vary widely in terms of services offered, product quality, number of visits and the dreaded hidden fees. Giroud Tree and Lawn provides tips on how to identify priorities, accurately compare quotes and select the best lawn service company.

No two lawns are alike, notes Lou Giroud, President of Giroud Tree and Lawn. Before choosing a lawn service, a homeowner should identify their priorities for lawn care.

1.Services: Does the homeowner want mowing, lawn treatments, insect or weed control, lawn fertilization, lawn repair, seeding, or aeration. 2.Product Quality: Evaluate the quality of the products used for lawn treatments. Premium slow-release fertilizers produce the best results but tend to be more expensive. 3.Environmental Impact: If concerned, investigate a 100% Organic programs. Other environmental considerations include:

In addition to the above tips, the Better Business Bureau provides detailed guidelines to help homeowners hire a lawn service company. Tips include: 1.Ask for a lawn inspection and a free estimate for service. Companies that quote a price without seeing the lawn cant be sure what a specific property might need. 2.Get a written agreement spelling out costs and services before you pay. What happens if service is needed between contracts? Will there be a charge? 3.Ask about guarantees and refund policies. Ask if the service is automatically renewed annually. Some contracts automatically renew services, unless the homeowner specifies otherwise. If signing a long-term contract, get information about cancellation rights in writing first. 4.Consider annual costs versus cost per application: Many companies allow payment after each treatment and may offer a discount if the annual cost is paid up front. 5.Look for professional membership in one or more lawn care associations.

The Better Business Bureau cautions check out businesses at http://www.bbb.org and the states Department of Labor & Industries. Ask neighbors or friends for a recommendation. Make sure a company is properly licensed to apply lawn chemicals with the states Department of Agriculture.

About Giroud Tree and Lawn Giroud Tree and Lawn specializes in tree service, tree removal and lawn care programs that make customers love doing business with the company since 1974. Serving Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties, the company offers professional tree and lawn evaluation, tree pruning, tree removal, insect and disease control, fertilizing, stump removal and traditional and 100% organic lawn programs to keep lawns healthy and green . Giroud Arborists are certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and have the knowledge and experience required to properly diagnose, treat and maintain trees and lawn health. The company has been awarded the Angie's List Super Service Award every year since 2005. The Giroud Treework for Charity program donates free tree care services to parks, historical sites and other non-profit organizations located in the Companys service area. For more information, visit the company website at http://www.giroudtree.com or call 215-682-7704.

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Its Time to Hire a Lawn Service and Giroud Tree and Lawn Offers Tips to Select a Reliable Lawn Service Company that ...

This years spring gardening season will hit the Oregon Convention Center in Portland this coming weekend.

On Feb. 28, the annual Yard, Garden & Patio Show will stir everyones imagination with a palette of entertaining spaces, designs for meditation and relaxation, whimsical fairy features and edible gardens.

Whether you aspire to create a yard with a waterfall, sustainable elements or floral and foliage features, this years Yard, Garden & Patio Show will inspire you to dream, while also teaching you how to make that dream garden a reality, said Allan Niemi, director of events and education for the Oregon Association of Nurseries. The Enchanted Food Forest, spaces for family and friends to gather, and other unique garden features will bring out the outdoor designer in everyone, no matter how green their thumb is or perhaps isnt!

Among the many features at the show will be outdoor cooking demonstrations from Portland-area restaurants, small garden vignettes and of course the main attraction: the Designers Challenge Showcase Gardens. Local landscapers will be creating seven gardens that incorporate solutions to common landscape challenges faced by Northwest gardeners.

A value of a yard, garden and patio show is it can inspire people to see opportunity that they might be able to sneak into their own home, said Drew Snodgrass, one of the owners of Dennis 7 Dees.

There will be sustainable living options, outdoor cooking classes from notable local chefs, edible gardens including a food forest, and free seminars geared to novice or master gardeners.

The main exhibit hall will be packed with hundreds of booths showcasing a variety of plants, gardening equipment, garden art, structures, decking, patios, and landscape professionals everything needed for imagining, starting and completing gardening projects. Niemi added that there is a sustainable living theme at this years show.

We are proud of our sustainability focus and encourage everyone to come and learn real, tangible things they can do to help our environment literally in their own backyards, he said. From the seminars and demonstrations to the Urban Edible Garden and Cracked Pots artists, there are a plethora of ideas to inspire every level of gardener.

Art showcased by the all-volunteer, non-profit organization Cracked Pots brings a total of 26 artists displaying hundreds of uniquely crafted and inspired pieces of art made from recycled items.

One of the artists, Oregon City resident Ben Dye, has carved out a niche creating drums from recycled propane tanks. He will also be unveiling a 12-foot tall dragonfly statue named St. Georges Horse at the show.

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Great gardening abounds at the Yard, Garden & Patio Show

To anyone stuck inside, last week was truly magical - snow everywhere. However, I spent the better part of two days shovelingand that was just one storm! After each incident, I thought my hand would never recover from the shovel shape of my glove.

I look outside my window and wonder how my garden will survive and how it will look in the coming months. So many shrubs arched over from the weight of the snow and ice. I wonder if they will recover. The tall, majestic bamboo confined to the corner of my yard has several stems that touch the ground. I love them because they provide year-round green and gently move in the wind. But now the outer most stems have taken on a different posture. If anyone were sitting around the fire pit in my backyard, they would surely be tickled by its leaves.

I am more concerned about the arborvitaes that I have planted as screening material along a portion of my side yard. When I opened the mini blinds from my bedroom window, I saw the row of evergreens bent over like dominoes.except they were every which way and not a straight line like in the game. Even though they have been bent in prior storms, the stakes I inserted near the center of the shrub and tied the stems with twine have not held the shrubs in place. It makes me sad to think that I might have to replace them.

It is said that snow is an insulator. According to an article I read that appeared in the Dec. 29 edition of the Chicago Tribune, "fresh snow is an excellent insulator. Ten inches of fresh snow is approximately equal to a six-inch layer of fiberglass insulation." Nothing can get through the snow - no air (it's trapped in the spaces between the flakes) and no wind which is why it is such a good insulator.

In basketball, we have what's known as March Madness. Generally, it occurs sometime mid-month and only the most talented of teams square off for the national championship. I know it's only the middle of February, but somehow or another, I think that's when we will finally see some green earth. I'll call it the March Meltdown. And maybe it will be just in time for my favorite nursery plant sale at Eisele's Nursery in Paramus.

In the meantime, there are some great very early spring bulb plants to look forward to seeing. They are Snowdrops (Galantus woronowii), Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis), and Crocus (Crocus).

Between the mountains of snow everywhere, I have no idea when the winter snowdrops will make their appearance. Right now they are under several feet of snow with a layer of ice somewhere in the middle. These "white-winged teardrop" blooms appear as snow melts in late winter/early spring; they are sweet, 4to-6 inch dainty blooms and are best for rock gardens.

Winter aconite have honey-scented yellow flowers that carpet the earth. They naturalize easily in lawns, rock gardens and under trees; they are self-seeding and will continue to reward the gardener year after year. Most of my readers know I am a fan of Cecily Mary Barker. This is her "Song of the Winter Aconite Fairy":

Deep in the earth

I woke, I stirred.

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Wiest: Mother Nature blankets the village in degrees of white

Friday, February 21, 2014 - 11:49am

February 21st, 2014 The last three weeks my car has been covered in pine tree sap. The original owner of the house had planted a row of desert pines on the outside of the driveway and a couple more on the other side near the house. They look great and stay green all year long. The also provide a bit of shade from the late day sun. The sap provided the motivation for todays Weather Talk. Trees can be beneficial in many ways if you plant the right type, plant them in the right place they can help shelter your house from the weather and save you money.

Trees bring beauty to home landscapes, but a tree can also serve a practical purpose when it stands near a house; its shade can increase the efficiency of summer cooling and its shelter can save heating costs by protecting walls and windows from strong winds. Choose the trees you plant near your home using some specific criteria to ensure their long-term beauty and safety.

The tree you plant near your house should be of compact growth above and below ground. Wide, spreading canopies can fill gutters with spring and fall debris and even grow under roof tile or shingles, compromising roofing. Aggressive root systems can invade the sewer lines and foundations. Deep roots can burrow under basements in search of moisture, causing dry soil to subside, or fall away, resulting in cracked cement floors and walls. In fire-prone areas, use fire-resistant trees and plant them beyond the 30-foot open zone recommended by wildfire experts.

We live in a desert area. The U.S.. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a Hardiness zone map for plants and trees based on that areas climate. http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/ We live in what the USDA classifies as zone 8a. We have to have some pretty hardy trees to survive the desert heat and lack of water! The Arbor Day Foundation has a list of the 30 most popular trees for zone 8. Some of these are in my neighborhood and I will list a few.

White Pine Weeping Willow Sugar Maple Tulip Tree (Yellow Poplar) Red Dogwood Pink Dogwood River Birch Lace bark Elm Black Walnut Leyland Cypress Saucer Magnolia Camellia Red Maple Hybrid Poplar

The Arbor Day Foundation also has a tree calculator. That will calculate the savings a certain type and size of tree planted near your house saves you each year based on your zip code. Very cool! They calculate the savings of electricity, natural gas, storm water, CO2 and its effect on property value. My 40 in diameter Southwestern White Pine in central El Paso provides $45 a year in benefits! Here is the web address; https://www.arborday.org/calculator/index.cfm?

Here is the best list I found from the Arbor Day Foundation of what to take into considering when planning where to plant your trees;

A healthy community forest begins with careful planning. With a little research and a simple layout, you can produce a landscape that will cool your home in summer and tame the winter winds. Your well-planned yard will contain trees that grow well in the soil and moisture of your neighborhood. Your trees will be properly placed to avoid collisions with power lines and buildings, and the aesthetics will increase your property value. A proper landscape plan takes each tree into consideration: 1. Height. Will the tree bump into anything when it is fully grown? [sizing guide] 2. Canopy spread. How wide will the tree grow? 3. Is the tree deciduous or coniferous? (Will it lose its leaves in the winter?) 4. Form or shape. A columnar tree will grow in less space. Round and V-Shaped species provide the most shade. [shape guide] 5. Growth rate. How long will it take for your tree to reach its full height? Slow growing species typically live longer than fast growing species. 6. Soil, sun, and moisture requirements. 7. Fruit. No one wants messy droppings on busy sidewalks. 8. Hardiness zone indicates the temperature extremes in which a tree can be expected to grow. For the purposes of this quiz hardiness zone considerations have been disregarded. Check with your community's tree board or forestry department or a local county cooperative extension agent for a list of trees suitable for planting in your specific hardiness zone. (Arborday.org hardiness zones lookup.)

All this information makes me want to go to a nursery and buy some trees! Trees do add beauty to your yard, shade and wind protection to your house. If you pick our the right type of tree, plant it in the proper location and good tree will give you years of shelter, enjoyment and it may even help you save money!

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Johnny Appleseed Was Right! Plant More Trees!

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By Carol CainCBS Detroit

Scott Benson had been a small business owner, served in the military and worked for a community organization in Detroit.

But knowing he had a goal of running for public office, the thing that truly propelled him in his bid was being part of the Michigan Political Leadership Program (MPLP).

I had the chance to meet and network with people and leaders from across the state, said Benson, who graduated from MPLP in 2011 and ran for Detroit City Council in November and won.

Benson made his comments during taping of Michigan Matters and appeared with Anne Mervenne and Steve Tobocman, co-directors of MPLP.

Benson, Mervenne and Tobocman also talked about other issues including Detroit, its financial plight and having Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr involved as the city fights it way out of bankruptcy.

The MPLP program, which started in 1992, is housed at Michigan State Universitys Institute for Public Policy and Social Research.

The nationally acclaimed program has nearly 600 alums with many working in politics.

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MPLP Makes Huge Waves In Michigans Political Landscape

It took Julia Miller and her husband, Mark, just one hour to decide on the split-level house in the Wessynton neighborhood the first time they drove up to it in July 2011.

A good friend whos a Realtor knew a house on the water was up for sale, Miller said. We went to look at it, fell in love and moved in.

Nestled in the hilly woodlands of southeastern Fairfax County, about half an hour from downtown, Wessynton is a neighborhood of 156 houses built in the late 1960s and early 70s on land that was once part of George Washingtons Mount Vernon estate.

Twenty-three of those mid-century modern houses are on Little Hunting Creek, a Potomac River tributary that provides all residents with access for fishing, boating and waterskiing. Wessynton Forest, covering much of the 20 acres of common property, runs through the community.

Centuries ago, the Doeg Indians hunted these woods along the Potomac. The land was eventually granted to an English family known by various names, including Wessynton, and the 500-acre Mount Vernon estate was built there.

The Mount Vernon Ladies Association took up the mantle of preserving the first presidents home and estate. In the late 1960s, it sold the 65-acre parcel that is now the Wessynton neighborhood to secure funds for its ongoing maintenance.

Houses blend into landscape: The developments architect, Nicholas A. Pappas, designed its houses to blend with the landscape they are set into the curve of the land along winding roads in the woods, providing seclusion. There are five designs Meadow, River, Forest, Garden and Manor all with large windows, open layouts, redwood ceilings and slate floors.

The architect used a palette of earth-tone colors sand, brown, beige, olive, pale yellow and the occasional muted salmon or rust-red door and today we try to stay within that color range, said Jim Clark, a former president of the homeowners association.

Roofs are the same brownish orange and mailboxes are a uniform brown wooden structure. We have someone in the community manufacture them for us, he said.

An architectural review panel ensures that the houses remain harmonious with nature and the original vision.

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Wessynton is Mount Vernons mid-century neighbor

From Wan Shahara Ahmad Ghazali

This last part of two articles on MARDI's role in developing Malaysia's agro industry focuses on the potential of aerobic rice farming.

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- It takes 3,000 litres of water to put a kilogramme of rice on your table.

For a country with the staple food being rice, droughts and increasingly limited water resources can present a real challenge to its food security.

Fortunately, the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) has ventured into the research on aerobic rice farming in Malaysia since 2005.

Aerobic rice is a high-yielding plant that can grow in dry irrigated land instead of the traditional flooded fields.

The variety developed by MARDI is known as the MRIA 1, and was launched on Aug 22 last year.

This is a paradigm shift for the rice farming industry and a move that is timely and apt particularly with rice being a food security crop for the nation.

PUTTING NEGLECTED LAND TO USE

MARDI Director, General Datuk Dr Sharif Haron saw the possibility of MRIA 1 being grown on abandoned private lands nationwide that cover up to 107,000 hectares.

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Aerobic Rice Set To Change Malaysia's Paddy Growing Landscape

Some artists are taking up space at the Wave Hill Garden and Cultural Center in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, creating masterpieces inspired by their surroundings. NY1's Stephanie Simon filed the following report.

Wave Hill Garden and Cultural Center is doing more than just giving artists studio space. It's allowing them to take what they need from the natural landscape to create new works of art.

"The 'Winter Workspace' program is a great way for an artist to come here and work onsite, and they are inspired by our gardens and our beautiful landscape, and the plants in our collection and the greenhouses," said Curator Gabriel de Guzman.

All of the artists are inspired by the nature around them but for some it's more literal.

"I was looking at the invasive plants growing inside the garden, kind of at the edges of the property kind of creeping in. So I was taking photographs of them, the trees of heaven kind of cutting it up and playing with it," said Artist Whitney Artell.

There are six artists in this year's "Winter Workspace" program, including Shanti Grumbine, who applies organic forms to newspaper. Some look like snowflakes, others like trees.

"So images of Syria, I'm actually literally carving branches. First I draw the branches into the image, then I carve away with the X-Acto knife to sort of bring together my world and what's going on abroad," Grumbine said.

This might seem like an unusual time of year to visit a public garden but folks at Wave Hill say for many people, winter is their favorite time to come.

"First of all, we have 28 acres of gardens and woodlands. When it snows, there's no better place to be than Wave Hill. We have beautiful views of the Palisades, you can come inside, you can see our greenhouses, which have incredible succulents, cactuses, tropical plants," De Guzman said.

The artists will open their studios to the public on March 30 to show their finished work and they will hold free art making workshops throughout March.

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Bronx Garden Becomes 'Winter Workspace' for Local Artists