TheState.com: Home and Garden

Pillows, pillows everywhere

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:54 EDT

PILLOW FINDS

Finds is an occasional series about fun, neat and cool stuff to buy locally.

Ready for a change in your living room, den, outdoor room? But maybe you’re not ready — or able — to make a major furniture purchase.

A new look can be as easy as a few pillows away.

Throw pillows can add interest, color and style. They can provide a touch of whimsy to a quiet room or a more hip look for an aging sofa. Brighter and lighter pillows in the spring and summer can be swapped out for a warmer room with richer or darker tones in the fall .

‘Big’ plant good choice for small garden

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:54 EDT

Just when you think there cannot possibly be another new elephant ear, think again. Colocasia esculenta ‘Elena’ is a new variety of elephant ear that is taking the gardening world by storm this season (at least at Riverbanks Zoo).

This winter, I got excited when I saw Colocasia ‘Elena’ in a plant catalog. The large, chartreuse leaves caught my eye, and I decided I must try this one out in the botanical garden.

Well, fast forward several months, and here we are in the middle of summer and we have dozens of Colocasia ‘Elena’ planted throughout the zoo and garden. I am getting more impressed with this plant as the days go by.

The real merits of ‘Elena’ are the large (nearly 2 feet long!), chartreuse colored leaves that are highlighted with purple veins. Expected to top out at around 3 feet tall, ‘Elena’ will fit nicely into even the smallest gardens. Not only is it a great plant in ground, but it works well in containers.

Like many other Colocasias, ‘Elena’ is not difficult to grow. It performs best in full sun to part shade conditions. Elephant ears can be heavy feeders and prefer a soil rich with organic matter. Also, give them plenty of water during the growing season if you want to see these plants reach their full potential. ‘Elena’ is supposed to be hardy in our climate, but I have yet to test it over winter.

Patio veggies offer bounty with less bother

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:54 EDT

Interest in patio vegetable gardens and edible landscapes is going through the roof.

Smaller yards and busier lives have fueled a desire for gardening on a smaller scale, said Randy Schultz, a spokesman for the Mailorder Gardening Association in Albuquerque, N.M.

Plant varieties are now being designed to grow in containers, and Schultz calls that perhaps the fastest-growing segment of the garden market.

“Gardening is morphing into an outdoor living accessory, an extension of your home,” said Bruce Butterfield, research director for the National Gardening Association in South Burlington, Vt. “People are using their patios and balconies rather than get their hands dirty in the ground.”

Gardening is also a hobby that grows more popular as people grow older. But as they continue to age, they tend to downsize. That generally means growing plants in pots or raised beds in sunny but protected corners where they won’t dry in the wind.

Keeping germs out of the kitchen

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:54 EDT

If you want to eat dinner from a clean surface, you might try your bathroom.

A study released in June found that kitchen sinks have more germs than bathroom sinks. The study also found that three-quarters of American kitchen cloths and sponges are heavily contaminated with harmful bacteria, meaning proper clean-up can be difficult.

The study was sponsored by the makers of the cleaning product Lysol, but the company did not design the study. Samples were taken by independent environmental scientists in 20 homes with children in each of seven regions, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Africa, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and India.

Internationally, 90 percent of kitchen cloths, 46 percent of kitchen sinks, 38 percent of bathroom sinks and 14 percent of children’s toys failed the test, meaning they had a total bacteria count of more than 100,000 per square centimeter.

The bacteria included E. coli and salmonella, which were probably carried in by food, small children or pets, researchers said. They can cause diarrhea or infections with flu-like symptons that are especially dangerous to small children, the elderly and pregnant women.

Make old furniture good as new

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:54 EDT

You have three choices when it comes to patio furniture:

• Spend all of your economic stimulus check — and then some — on a glamorous new set from some upscale brand

• Spend a couple of hundred dollars on something more affordable from Target, Home Depot or IKEA

• Or go the most economical route and spruce up something junky.

The rescue-and-refresh approach is a specialty of islandgirlsalvage.com. Owners Tabitha Long and Elizabeth Ross love reinventing cast-off architectural elements and furniture.

Spice up your outdoor living space

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:54 EDT

It’s no surprise that the outdoor room is getting cozier, with so many new products on the market to provide creature comforts.

Chair cushions are softer and deeper, rugs are plusher and the lighting is so much more attractive. It’s difficult to tell where the inside ends and the outside begins.

Curtains, table lamps, mirrors and even paintings have been installed in outdoor rooms, making the outdoor space so much like, well, home.

Mark Vaughan, owner of Domain XCIV in Fort Worth, Texas, says the market for these outdoor accessories is growing with many new products, such as table lamps wired for exterior use and seating pieces covered in hardy fade-resistant fabrics.

Vaughan says, “We’re putting everything outside that is made of a material that can go outside.” He should know — he even has a painting on the exterior wall of his garage.

Make your garden nearly effortless, nearly weedless

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:54 EDT

Based on research garden writer Lee Reich has done over the years at Cornell University and in his own backyard, he has come up with a four-part system to reduce and get rid of weeds in your garden.

1. Abandon tillage. Never turn over the soil. Most feeder roots, humus and air are in the top 6 inches of soil. When not disturbed, soil builds up a natural structure with large and small “pores” that pull water toward the roots. Tilling the soil burns up organic matter quickly. You can plant earlier and use less water by not tilling.

2. Designate permanent areas for walking and planting. You don’t need raised beds to do this. Reich showed pictures of his own backyard garden, which has neat, wood-chip-covered walkways and rows of lush, ground-level garden beds. Reich advises packing the beds full so the weeds can’t get in.

3. Keep an inch or so of weed-free organic matter, such as compost, on top of the garden beds to suffocate weed seeds so they won’t germinate. Compost is great as a mulch because it benefits the plants and the microbes in the soil and replenishes the humus. Bare soil is also susceptible to pounding rains that seal the soil surface so water runs off and not into the garden beds.

4. Use drip irrigation for areas that need regular watering, delivering the water directly to the plants. Areas that aren’t watered will not grow weeds. Automating the system saves you time and water.

Beautiful, hay-grown ’maters

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:24 EDT

J.W. “Red” Rutland is 83 years old. He works about 55 hours a week as a receiver at a Lexington grocery. And he grows tomatoes to die for.

Each summer, his garden off Corley Mill Road produces hundreds of tomatoes, grown without any pesticides or chemicals. Many of those tomatoes are sold at 14 Carrot Whole Foods in Lexington (where he also works). Others are given away to friends and family — or eaten by Rutland (preferably between two slices of white bread and topped with Duke’s mayonnaise and a little salt).

He has lived and gardened on this land since 1962, dividing it years ago so that his two daughters and a friend could build homes there, too. In the early days, when he owned and operated the Red Star Grocery in Columbia, he grew all sorts of produce to sell at the store. Rutland and his late wife, Marah, ran that store for 34 years, until the land was taken to make room for a parking lot for Carolina Coliseum.

He said he never thought he could work for anybody other than himself, until he started at 14 Carrot, where he has spent 20 years. “I love it. I look forward to getting up every morning and getting to work,” he said. “I never did learn how to play.”

But back to the tomatoes.

Grill to be green

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:24 EDT

If you’re wondering how to make grilling more environmentally sound, look no further. Rick Browne, international barbecue expert and author of a new cookbook, “The Best Barbecue on Earth” (Ten Speed Press, $22.95) offers simple yet effective tips for a “green” barbecue.

1. Cook with gas if you can. With by far the lowest carbon footprint among fuels used to cook food in backyard barbecues, propane, or its cousin, natural gas, has many economic and environmental benefits.

2. Do not use ordinary charcoal briquettes. The most popular brands emit 105 times more carbon monoxide than propane, release more greenhouse gases than wood and send lots of harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the air. Use green products such as the 100 percent organic natural briquettes produced by Lokkii.

3. Use organic fire starters, chimneys and lint. If you must use lump charcoal or briquettes, do not use liquid starters; they are among the most toxic substances and contain petrochemicals, which contribute to global warming. If you need a liquid fire starter, use an organic brand.

4. Shop and buy locally. Buy local products, including your backyard beverages, thereby saving fossil fuels. Think of the amount of fuel and the huge carbon footprint needed to fly or truck products from other regions of the United States to your hometown, or to fly in products from overseas.

Vacation mood easy to create for year-round living

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:24 EDT

Gathering shells and sea glass on the beach while sand sifts through your toes. Sipping citrus-y drinks while sitting poolside. Watching the setting sun dip into the water, casting a sparkly ribbon across the waves.

Who wouldn’t want to take these vacation memories home?

At this time of year, many folks spend vacations on sunny beaches, often popping a souvenir or two into the suitcase as a way of remembering a special trip.

But others are so taken with what is known as beach or coastal style that they hope to replicate it in their own home.

“People who are vacationing ... fall in love with the pale blues, greens and sandy beiges that make up the color palette that is so popular for beach homes. They will pick up a few accessories, or even bigger pieces to use in their own home,” says Vicki Sharratt, manager of a home decor shop in Seaside, Fla.

Retailers cut to the chaise

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:24 EDT

During the Victorian era, women used chaise lounges to sit on and to catch them when they fainted.

While it’s no longer common for them to wear corsets that can make them lightheaded, women still are the primary buyers of these accent furniture pieces, several furniture experts say. And even though retailers haven’t necessarily seen a surge in customers demanding chaise lounges, they have noticed many more styles to pick from for practically any room of the house.

“I think a chaise adds drama to a room,” says Rick Doyle, manager of an Ethan Allen store in Fresno, Calif. “It gives it a luxury look.”

A chaise lounge typically has a back and an extended seating area.

They’re sometimes called chaise lounge chairs or just plain chaise. The term “chaise” comes from France, where the chairs often were used in bedrooms and living rooms.

behind the names

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:24 EDT

The names assigned to roses often hint at stories that can be as colorful as their namesakes’ petals.

Writer Molly Glentzer and photographer Don Glentzer share some of those stories in “Pink Ladies & Crimson Gents: Portraits and Legends of 50 Roses.” Among the roses they profile are:

• Captain Thomas, named for Capt. George C. Thomas Jr., who led the first active American bombing squad in France in World War I and went on to hybridize roses, design golf courses and write books on those subjects as well as on game fishing

• Mme. Isaac Pereire, named for Fanny Pereire, who was married to a French financier, yet worked with her husband on behalf of laborers’ rights.

• Leda, the mortal queen of Greek mythology who was seduced by the god Zeus.

Handy man advice

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:24 EDT

Tile floors are tough and easy to clean, but sometimes they crack. Here are some tips for replacing a damaged tile.

First, you should make sure you have a replacement tile. If you don’t, try to find one that is very close to the same style and color. Then remove a good tile from an out-of-the-way spot. Use it as a replacement for the cracked tile, and put the new nonmatching tile in the less noticeable spot.

To remove the cracked tile, use a grout saw to remove the grout around the tile.

Most tile adhesives are pretty tough, so breaking the tile into smaller pieces and chipping it up will be your best bet. Wear protective goggles. Use a glass cutter to score the tile across the middle and then tap it to break it. Use a drill to drill down through the surface, making sure not to penetrate the subfloor. Use a chisel and hammer to break the tile. Remove the pieces.

Use a chisel to remove any leftover adhesive. The area needs to be perfectly smooth before you put the new tile in place.

HOME&GARDEN CALENDAR

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:24 EDT

PLANT SALES

• The Lexington County Master Gardenergroup will hold their fall plant sale from 8 a.m.-noon Oct. 4.

Perennials, vines, bulbs, shrubs, trees, houseplants, seeds, yard art, magazines and more will be for sale at the Lexington County Museum, 231 Fox St., Lexington.

Proceeds benefit the Lexington County Master Gardener Sam Cheatham Scholarship and other Master Gardener activities.

MISCELLANEOUS

SCRATCHY TAGS

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:24 EDT

To cure the problem of a scratchy brand name tag in a clothing item, rather than remove the tag, I clip the corners off of it. If that doesn’t help, I look closely at the stitching for a tiny nylon thread end, and if I see one, I snip it off. — Another Texas Gal, via e-mail

PAPER TOWELS

To reduce waste, I have been tearing off paper-towel sheets and cutting them in half to use for small chores. I can’t believe I never thought of cutting the whole roll in half. After experimenting, I found that by using a sharp knife (the serrated left so many scraps) and cutting the entire roll, through the cardboard core, I have a nice, neat small rolls that are just right for many chores. — J.F., via e-mail

EASY-CLEAN OUTDOOR FURNITURE

I faced the challenge of cleaning all of my outside furniture, specifically the resin and/or plastic chairs and tables. Rather than rent a power washer, I loaded the furniture into my truck and went to the car wash. It took about 10 minutes, cost $1.50, and I had clean furniture. — Nancy in Illinois

Garden finance

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:24 EDT

Saving seeds from your vegetable garden is a great way to save money. Here are some tips:

• Steer clear of gathering seed from hybrids, biennials and varieties such as broccoli and radish that tend to cross-pollinate with other plant types.

• Gather seed from the healthiest plants rather than those that are earliest to mature.

• Harvest, label and store seeds only when they are mature; they must be fully ripe to germinate.

• Store clean, dry seed in sealed envelopes, plastic containers or glass canning jars. Keep them cool (35 to 40 degrees) and dry.

Fabulous floral centerpieces

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:24 EDT

We’ve seen them on skirts. We’ve spotted them on sofas. Lately, they’ve been gracing paper goods, handbags, table linens ... you name it.

Yep, bloom time is here, and we’re talking flowers.

They’re certainly in style, but more than that, they’re one of the principal joys of the season. So here’s our suggestion: Gather up an armful of the bounty your backyard (or even the nearest florist) has to offer, and build a beautiful tablescape around it. Then gather up some friends, and serve up a warm-weather feast to delight all the senses.

How to get started? Just try one of our three easy ideas or get inspired and create your own.

LUSH AND LAVISH

Water plants from above to avoid salt buildup

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:24 EDT

QUESTION: We have two huge planter boxes packed with Kimberly Queen ferns. We overwintered them and just repotted them this spring into wooden containers that sit in deep pans. Recently, the ends of the fronds started dying. I know it isn’t from the leaves being too wet because we only put water in the pans and let the plants soak it up from below. Why do you think is happening?

Answer: I think your ferns feel like they spent the Fourth of July at the ocean, and they didn’t like it. When you water from below, or water so that you don’t have runoff coming out the drainage holes in your container, you get salt buildup in your soils.

Remember when the conquering troops were really vindictive and would salt the fields so the few people left alive would starve to death? Well, fertilizers, be they water-soluble or granular, are made of salts. (If you’ve ever broadcast fertilizer with your hands and had a cut finger, you’ve experienced this; it stings like the dickens!)

If the salt level in the soil builds up, that process of osmosis, where water moves from an area of low to higher solutes, actually pulls water from the roots, and they die.

Your bottom-watering system also is putting your ferns in respiratory distress. Along with absorbing water and dissolved nutrients, roots take up oxygen for metabolism, and they get that oxygen from pore spaces in the soil. If all the pore spaces are filled with water, which happens when your container isn’t allowed to drain, then the plant can’t breathe; it doesn’t have the oxygen necessary for respiration to keep all systems firing.

Getting Organized: Tricks to simplify your life

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:24 EDT

Don’t bother being a perfectionist if you want to get your home organized.

Even being a little bit tidier will make a big difference, says Jeff Bredenberg, author of “How to Cheat at Organizing: Quick, Clutter-Clobbering Ways to Simplify Your Life” ($15, The Taunton Press).

That said, Bredenberg goes on to tell how to be more efficient in nearly everything. He’ll tell you how to take on the medicine cabinet. The living room. The trunk of the car. Your wallet. Your condiments.

He keeps going. He offers ways to simplify credit card debt. Exercise programs. Travel. Trips to the doctor.

He’s so efficient he’s exhausting.

Oh, deer! We can share our backyard with nature’s friends

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:24 EDT

I have put off writing this article for at least 20 years. It always seemed like being the referee in the middle of a standoff: gardeners on one side, Bambi on the other.

Living in the middle of a sub-division whose woods have disappeared, lot by lot, I am not personally affected by the ever-expanding and always-hungry deer population. As a result, my garden is never pruned to ground level by dratted deer nor is a favorite tree, the expensive and coddled one, chewed to a nubbin.

On the contrary, I am pleased to see deer emerging from someone else’s woods or browsing in a field. An awe-filled moment occurred when I sat on the screened porch of a Lowcountry house a couple of years ago and was startled to first hear, then see a herd of deer running lickety-split across the wooded backyard, no doubt chased by a dog or irate gardener.

Whenever I visit that house, I purposefully rise before dawn and move silently to the porch, hoping to catch a few deer nibbling on the shrubbery. I know they are there because I hear them shuffling through the marshy ground. If I make a sound or someone turns on a light, the deer take flight. Otherwise they remain at their tasks until the soft morning light makes them pleasingly visible.

My deer delight is not shared by most gardeners. No subject brings more ire than deer on the chomp. I get phone calls and e-mails pleading for help. I am stopped in the grocery store or the post office by angry gardeners who have lost their prized specimens to dratted deer. Deer are in their gardens, on their porches, leaping over fences, wherever the most prized plants grow — or grew.