TheState.com: Home and Garden

Irmo family room on HGTV’s ‘Rate My Space’

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:28 EDT

Parts of an Irmo woman’s home will be recreated in a California couple’s home, courtesy of the HGTV show “Rate My Space.”

The episode airs at 9 tonight.

“Rate My Space” lets homeowners post pictures of their rooms on the show’s Web site for other viewers to critique. It then offers makeovers to people whose rooms get some of the lowest ratings.

The show asks homeowners to pick three rooms that inspired them from the “Rate My Space” Web site, identifying the objects or finishes they’d like to have in their own homes.

That’s where Lisa Wihlidal’s room came in.

Let it rain

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:04 EDT

“It’s nice to know you’re taking storm water and doing something productive with it.”

— Tom Falvey

When the rains come, it’s not unusual to see Tom Falvey at the rear edge of his Shandon yard, holding an umbrella and staring at a small patch of ground.

His children will yell to him from the house, “Daddy, is it working?”

“Yes, it’s working.”

A colorful retreat to nature

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:08 EDT

FAVORITE GARDEN: An occasional online feature about gardens in the Midlands

A labor of love

Linda Woolam of Lexington calls her garden a work in progress.

She moved to the home on Lake Murray Terrace in 1995 and started working on the large backyard. The garden features three huge white crape myrtles along with azaleas, day lilies, dwarf gardenias and a rose garden. There’s also a three-tiered fountain surrounded by rosemary.

And she’s still working on it.

Tempted by tulips

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:04 EDT

I admit: I am a fool for bulbs. I love wandering through the catalogs, circling this daffodil or that crocus. But I always skip the tulip section. Their elegant and stately demeanor does not speak to my gardening philosophy. And I never felt they were worth my effort or finances to plant one year and compost the next. Only in northern zones do these bulbs return another year for a repeat visit.

Then I experimented with species tulips and discovered a horticultural oxymoron for these parts: a tulip that comes back.

Species tulips are the precursors of our modern tulips. Native to warm climates of the Middle East, these demure tulip interpretations differ from the familiar hybrid belles that fill bulb catalogs. Instead of long stems, these stems range from 4 inches to 10 inches. Instead of giant silky blooms, these blooms are petite. But the big difference is they come back, and some will even multiply.

My first species tulip experiment involved a bag of small bulbs labeled ‘Lilac Wonder.’ The first year their flowering prowess was fairly ho-hum. But I was late planting them — I recall it was February — and decided they should have another year to prove themselves.

‘Lilac Wonder’ turned out to be just that — a wonder. The blooms, borne on short stems, are 3-inch wide affairs featuring petals of delicate pink overlaid with a wash of lavender. A sweet spot of bright yellow at the base of each petal keeps the flowers from being too demure. Coming up amongst my prostrate rosemary, they look just right.

Overheated roses fall to pieces

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:04 EDT

QUESTION: I have six large containers with roses on my patio next to the pool. We have an intensive fertilization and watering schedule, but the flowers seem to fall apart only one or two days after opening. The whole point was to have a beautiful display for entertaining, but it isn’t working. What can I do?

Answer: Your roses are like the two dead feral hogs I’ve seen on my drives through the Congaree Swamp on my way to work in Sumter. Roses growers all report that the color, fragrance and durability of flowers is highly dependent on the weather, as is the rate of decay for road kill. The first hog I carefully maneuvered around met his demise during an ice storm. He lay in apparent perfect condition for a week; I was amazed some enterprising cook from Lone Star didn’t load him in a pickup and barbecue him. What a different story for the July casualty who, like your short-lived roses, fell apart in just a few days.

It’s the same for your poor roses that are sitting in full sun on a patio that holds heat just like S.C. 601 in August. Add to that you have them in containers and, no doubt, they are those attractive dark green or blue ones that absorb and hold even more heat. The roots are hot all day long, in spite of your watering, and even at dusk your roses are still stressed by heat re-radiated from the patio long after plants in the yard have cooled off and slowed down their metabolism.

Why not construct a pergola that slightly filters the shade and place your roses under it during the hottest months of summer? I think you would find that many guests also would enjoy some respite from the sun’s rays. If you can find pots that are light in color, perhaps a good-looking composite that won’t hold heat like glazed terra cotta or cement, that would reduce the heat stress as well.

Consider the color of the roses you choose, too; you wouldn’t sit in the sun in a dark rose or burgundy terry wrap — you’d want a white or light pink robe because it would be cooler. Less intensely colored roses can withstand heat better than the darker varieties. Finally, I’d stay away from those high-maintenance hybrid teas and concentrate on some of the floribundas or antique roses that have the genes to stand up to life in the South.

Grab some day lilies at the zoo

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:04 EDT

Fall is the perfect time to plant perennials. And day lilies are some of the most popular perennials to grow.

Here’s your chance to get some to put in the ground.

The Mid-Carolina Daylily Society will hold its annual fall plant sale Sept. 6 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (or until the plants sell out).

The sale will be held in the Magnolia Room at Riverbanks Botanical Garden.

Arrive early for best selection. Club members will be available to answer questions and help you choose the right plants for your garden.

Sangria makes wine cool

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:04 EDT

Summer temperatures send even wine lovers scurrying for iced beverages, but if you don't want to give up your beloved bottles of red for the sake of cool, follow the tradition of the Spaniards and use red wine in sangria.

Sangria comes from the Spanish word "sangre," meaning blood. The popular beverage, served over ice, mixes flavors such as sweet port, fresh orange slices and cinnamon.

"Sangria suits this weather: It's refreshing, it's light, and it's not too alcoholic," said Paul Ringstrom, a restaurant owner in Sacramento, Calif.

The history of the punch — called "zurra" when it's made with white wine — is difficult to track. In the late '50s, as Spain turned into a country of tourism, pubs and bars began selling the drink as an inexpensive social lubricant by adding cognac or other brandies to the classic drink, according to Reda Bellarbi, whose family is from Cordoba, Spain. It was introduced to the United States at the 1964 World's Fair in New York.

"Some people cool off with a beer; wine people cool off with sangria," Bellarbi said.

Accent: A vase with drama

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:29 EDT

Check out this vase, which comes just in time to impress fall guests.

The base and top are black, so the clear mid section dramatically presents the fall leaf designs.

This vase is available through Paul D. Sloan Interiors for $550.

— Deena Bouknight

Accent highlights home accessories available at Midlands retailers.

How to make your house a home

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:04 EDT

You have a complex relationship with your house.

You want to feel as if you’re at home. Instead, you feel as if you’re living in a Days Inn with a mailbox and a mortgage.

There’s too much stuff — or not enough.

And what you do have is the wrong color, or shape, or style. It’s too small for the wall, or too big, or too dark.

Or none of it seems to go together.

Are you ready?

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:58 EDT

Finds

An occasional series about fun, useful stuff to buy locally.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Find all the information you need at thestate.com/family, including:

• Midlands school information

A brew as fresh as your own garden

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:58 EDT

A cup of tea at breakfast or over lunch is one of life’s simple indulgences. It’s even more special — and not much more difficult — if you grow the herbs yourself.

Many of the best tea herbs are easy to grow, beautiful, and naturally resistant to pests. Even if you don’t have garden space, many delightful tea herbs will grow in containers on a porch or windowsill.

“By growing my own tea, I have total freedom to pick the herbs to suit my mood or revitalize my palette,” says avid herb-grower Jekka McVicar, author of “The Complete Herb Book.”

Mint is a must — consider species with other subtle flavors including apple, pineapple, chocolate, orange, ginger and lemon. Daisy-like chamomiles can also cheer up any garden and make a soothing tea.

Once you’ve chosen your herbs, it’s as easy as harvest, dry, store and brew:

Plant profile: ‘Prairie Sun’ brings new color to old favorite

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:58 EDT

One of the first flowers that I ever learned to recognize was the black-eyed Susan. I remember seeing them growing on the roadside as a child in the Lowcountry, and from that moment on, the black-eyed Susan was an indelible memory.

There are a number of great black-eyed Susan varieties available these days, but there is one I have become particularly enamored of this season: Rudbeckia hirta ‘Prairie Sun.’

One thing that sets this variety apart from the usual black-eyed Susan is the green “eye” in the center of the flower. The 5- to 6-inch wide flowers are a yellowish-orange toward the center and fade to a primrose yellow at the tip of each petal. These multi-branched plants will reach 2½ to 3 feet tall in optimum conditions.

Since it blooms all summer long until frost, ‘Prairie Sun’ is a great way to add some continuous color to the garden. Several plants grouped together will yield a mass of color for months. Not only are these flowers gems in the garden, they make great cut flowers.

‘Prairie Sun’ does best in full sun when given an average amount of water. Deadheading the spent flowers will improve the appearance of the plant, put more energy into producing new flowers and limit reseeding (not necessarily a bad thing). The plant is a short-lived perennial, and it may be wise to treat it strictly as an annual in your garden.

Perfect summer eye-candy read

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:58 EDT

There are books that are necessities for the shelf (“The Scarlet Letter,” “Pride and Prejudice”), and those published solely to sass up the coffee table.

But there also is that rare breed that is so beautiful, you’re tempted to tear out the pages, tack them to the wall and stare. This is exactly the case for “Botanicals: Butterflies & Insects” by Leslie K. Overstreet (Assouline, $50).

The 300-page hardback is pure eye candy full of frame-worthy illustrations by famous botanical artists from the past three centuries. Its oversized pages were compiled by garden expert Overstreet, curator of the Natural History Rare Books Library at the Smithsonian Institution.

From vibrant art nouveau butterflies to graphic beetle dissections and painterly flowers, her compilation is the perfect summer read. Even if there aren’t many words inside.

“Botanicals: Butterflies & Insects,” by Leslie K. Overstreet (Assouline, $50)

Furniture finds: Colorful items brighten room

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:09 EDT

Sometimes, it just takes a change of color to make a room great.

Strobler has quality wood furniture pieces in simple, versatile styles, yet the colors are fashionable. A mint green side table has a door and drawer; the coordinating bookshelf has two doors. Plus, a barn-red side table features two-doors and a cubby.

The side tables are available for $148 and $174, bookshelves for $311.

— Deena C. Bouknight

Furniture finds features furnishings in a variety of price ranges found at local retailers.

Summer living: Outdoor furniture goes upscale

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:58 EDT

The warm weather, summer catalogs, outdoor markets: Every year, it all conspires to plant thoughts of buying new patio furniture.

If only the sticker prices didn’t threaten to keep the thoughts from becoming reality.

Outdoor furniture has been retailing higher and higher over the past several years. Unless you’re buying it from mass-market giants such as Target, Kmart or Home Depot, you can expect to pay several hundred dollars for an ottoman to several thousand dollars for an outdoor sofa.

These are prices that, in many cases, outrank interior furnishings. What accounts for all those zeros?

DESIGN

Dorm sweet dorm: Gadgets, bins and furniture make your room feel like home

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:58 EDT

Whether you’re a fashionista who considers “Gossip Girl” star Blake Lively your idol, an eco-friendly student who thinks Al Gore is “the man” or a guy who decorates with books, you can find the back-to-dorm decor that reflects your personality and tastes.

The choices are more varied than ever in this year’s crop of nifty ways to trick out your dorm room and turn it into a sweet space.

You can get ideas on how to organize and decorate your room in different themes from store Web sites. J.C. Penney even has an area on Facebook as well as on jcp.com that offers a virtual way to decorate by dragging accessories into a room.

Container Store, Bed, Bath & Beyond and J.C. Penney are offering checklists in stores or online to help so you get everything you need.

Many of the basics have remained the same over the years, but trend experts say today’s college students want their rooms to reflect their personalities more than ever before.

Make a splash with color

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:58 EDT

Color is one of the easiest ways to make an impact in any room, and dorm rooms are no exception, says designer Angelo Surmelis, host of the HGTV’s “Rate My Space.”

“Since painting walls is usually out of the question in most dormitories, finding new, inexpensive and creative ways to add color is the key,” he says.

Surmelis suggests the following ways to add color without ever having to paint:

Get inexpensive canvases and paint them all a single color or a few complementary colors. Cover a wall with the canvases for added interest and a focal point. They are also easy to repaint if you get tired of the color(s) you used.

Fabric can have a similar effect while adding texture. Stretch colored or patterned fabric over canvases, cork boards or simple plywood boards cut to custom sizes and shapes to give your room instant color.

Winning the game (room)

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:21 EDT

This room over the garage in a Wildewood home started out as a children’s playroom.

But as the kids grew up, so did the room.

Interior designer Laurin Johnson, of Laurin Johnson Interiors, worked with the family to turn the playroom into a game and media room.

The first thing to consider when you’re planning a media room is the television.

“What size TV you want drives the whole room,” she said. “And you also need to decide what else the room needs to be used for.”

Garnish your yard with gates

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:21 EDT

Inviting exploration, gates are as individual as the homes found behind them.

1. Wrought-iron railings and a matched pair of formal, stone columns are framed with brightly colored blossoms in a flower bed. Slate stepping stones add a touch of whimsy with a staggered placement.

2. There's an easygoing sense of welcome to this rustic wooden entryway in the Southwest. Matched hurricane lamps suspended on either side light the way at night and cast a glow on the desert plants that grow on either side. Brick pavers extend toward the inner courtyard, inviting guests to enter.

3. Tranquil and simplistic, these Zen-like gates aren’t adorned with handles, pulls, or other opening devices.

For more design and decorating ideas, visit the Web site www.getdecorating.com.

Summer living: Outdoor furniture goes upscale

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:21 EDT

The warm weather, summer catalogs, outdoor markets: Every year, it all conspires to plant thoughts of buying new patio furniture.

If only the sticker prices didn’t threaten to keep the thoughts from becoming reality.

Most outdoor furniture has been retailing higher and higher over the past several years. Unless you’re buying it from mass-market giants such as Target, Kmart or Home Depot, you can expect to pay several hundred dollars for an ottoman to several thousand dollars for an outdoor sofa.

These are prices that, in many cases, outrank interior furnishings. What accounts for all those zeros?

DESIGN