Hoosierhillsinc - Landscape Designer

The guy who abandoned his car on my corner showed up around three this afternoon. He turned out to be a neighbor from a block down and over, a thirtysomething with a brushy haircut failing to conceal a slight bald spot and that rudely slim waist and hipbones all the young men seem to sport, boxer shorts peeking coyly above the waist of his slack-tied warmup pants. He had a spade and a bent snow shovel and was doing a decent job, but it went quicker when I dove in as Second Shovel and coached him about breaking the pack ice into fragments with the spade-point.

We got the car free after I’d been pitching in for about a half hour — I’d been at it out there since midmorning and was on autopilot by then anyway. He was touchingly grateful for what I would regard as common decency. Still, I had to turn my head to chuckle when he got into the car, yanked off his stocking cap and fixed his “hat hair” in the rear-view mirror before firing her up. He was so effusive about asking if he could come back and help me with any of my remaining cleanup tomorrow that when he found his street remained impassable, I just let him use the second slab of my driveway overnight. He called me a “lifesaver” so many times I checked to see if I smelled like wintermint.

Speaking of the driveway: not a bad morning’s work for an old broad. After a while it became a matter of finding a place to put the stuff.

Shrubs, not to mention mature trees, that usually stand twice my height were kissing the ground.

How the mirror ornaments remained in place through all that is anyone’s guess.

I couldn’t seem to get a good picture of the twelve-foot spruce that is too close to my treatment room window (but screens it so nicely that I leave it there); because of its asymmetrical haircut, the thing was weighted on the outward facing side and bent like Odysseus’ bow. I have been wanting to top that thing for months so while I had it at my mercy I gave it a good clip, quitting only when I began to sense that my feet were becoming one with the snow. Wool ragg socks make up for the substandard winter boots that are all our Washington Februaries normally call for, but eventually the laws of heat transfer catch up with you.

I gave the whole thing a last look as the sun started to drop and then went inside and reported to my supervisors.

With Outdoor Lighting Perspectives adding an LED line to our eco-friendly, low voltage exclusive line of fixtures, I thought it was important to note other positive eco-friendly lighting happenings in the US. Time Magazine was doing some “Top 50” Lists for 2009 and this made it into the Top 50 Inventions for 2009. There are some other green ideas that came out last year from superior Solar Shingles to carbon footprint tracking….

With the flick of a switch, Philips Electronics may have just dramatically lowered America’s electric bill. In September the Dutch electronics giant became the first to enter the U.S. Department of Energy’s L Prize competition, which seeks an LED alternative to the common 60-watt bulb. Sixty-watt lights account for 50% of the domestic incandescent market; if they were replaced by LED bulbs, the U.S. could save enough electricity per year to light 17.4 million households. If they win the L Prize, they will claim a cash award and federal purchasing agreements worth about $10 million. The LED bulb emits the same amount of light as its incandescent equivalent but uses less than 10 watts and lasts for 25,000 hours — or 25 times as long.

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In the early hours of this February snow six deer passed single file through the forest edge behind our home while my wife and I lunched on chicken soup and sandwiches, gazing out the kitchen window at the rapidly accumulating snowflakes. The last in this leisurely procession walked with a prominent limp, a result, I am quite certain, of not looking before you leap. All were quite thin, which I assume is not unusual for this time of the winter.

I felt a momentary guilt for spraying the deer repellent that has made the evergreens in the garden unpalatable, though I did see a day earlier that deer had found a lone liriope through the melting snow of three days past, and nibbled the foliage to the ground. I was tempted to expose the remainder of the grouping to save me from the task of having to cut them back in March.

With many more inches of snow today the groundcovers will not be exposed for several weeks in this shady garden, but I suppose the deer will find enough arborvitae and yew in other parts of the neighborhood to survive.

We have made a considerable effort to make this garden an attractive home to wildlife, but as the collection of hosta and other prized plants were decimated by deer my wife threatened drastic actions, including purchase of a gun. I took this no more seriously than her threats against the mice in the basement, the woodpecker that has pecked holes in our stucco chimney, or the squirrels who reside in our attic (all of which were threatened with violence), but I have noted the limits of her tolerance so that I might avoid my blood being shed should I prove to be too great an annoyance.

The snow, of course, has become tiresome as spring was nearly in sight. It’s likely that the hellebores blooming will be delayed under this snowy blanket, and the early daffodils, crocus, and iris won’t poke their heads above ground for several weeks. Still, in a short while there will be juicy tulips for the deer to feast on, and all will be well, though repairs from this snow’s damage might last well into March.

As quickly as I regain energy enough to write again, we will discuss the damage the winter snows have done to the garden, and what we can do about it.

Fungus attacks all grasses to various degrees. Sharp mowers are a good defense because torn blades allow fungus to penetrate and take hold. Adequate fertilizer that promotes strong, healthy grass is another good defense. But an observant owner is the best defense. Pay attention to your yard. Look for clues. If something seems out of place question it and address it. During periods of high humidity fungi and spores are more likely to grow. Watering in the early morning hours to wash off germinating spores helps. A healthy, well fad lawn is more resistant to fungus. And of course preventing shock to the grass from drought, close mowing, and using the wrong fertilizer will help prevent fungus growth.

Guest room 'before'

THIS COMING WEEK, I’M SLIPPING IN A RENOVATION PROJECT that wasn’t even on my priority list. The roofer remains elusive, and I can’t do the parking court until he’s done. I can’t do the deck/outdoor shower until April at least, because the area beneath which I plan to put the 400-square-foot deck is filled with ferns, below, that were the most satisfying part of the landscape when I got here last May, as well as 75 daffodil bulbs, chelone (turtlehead), and astilbes. (I’ll move all that elsewhere, but can’t do it until the ground is good and unfrozen.)

Where the new deck will go

Like a shark, I’ve got to keep moving forward or else I’ll die. Or so it feels. So on Tuesday, a contractor is coming to fix up the 2nd bedroom, or guest room, in my East Hampton cottage. He’ll install a new window I happen to have in the basement, below (custom-made for another house and never used) along the longer wall, which I expect will make the 7-foot-wide room feel much more pleasant. It will also look more interesting from the outside. He’ll remove cruddy molding, a damaged ceiling from a long-ago roof leak, and replace the old, wallpapered-over sheetrock and baseboard.

Window going in

I’m also getting three new solid wood, four-panel doors to replace the hollow-core ones on the two bedrooms and bath.

I’m kind of dreading the whole operation, to tell ya the truth. It’ll last most of the week. It’s been very cold here, and the exterior wall in that room will be open for at least a few hours. And then there’s the dust. But hopefully the satisfaction of accomplishment will trump the inconvenience.

And now the roofer is saying he may also come this week. Chaos!

Utah’s Uinta mountains are a rugged landscape dotted with more than 1000 lakes. Over 650 of those lakes are filled with hungry Arctic grayling, brook, brown, rainbow, golden, tiger, albino, Bonneville and Colorado cutthrout trout. Fall is the best time of the year to fish the high mountain lakes of the Uintas.

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Trees and shrubs that bloom in the winter add instant curb appeal and break up a white (or brown and snowless) winter landscape. Try adding a few of these winter plants to crank up the visual impact of your house during the winter months:

Dogwood

Aside from some color in late summer, Dogwood brings white or yellow flowers in late winter and early spring.

Heath

Heath bush boasts white, pink and red flowers in the winter.

Witch Hazel

Witch Hazel provides red or yellow flowers in winter along with beautiful autumn foliage depending on the variety.

Winterberry

You might know it as Holly but the dark green leaves and bright red berries in the winter are a great addition to your landscape long after the Holidays!

Winter Jasmine

Bare green stems and yellow flowers bloom on Winter Jasmine November through March.

Winter Honeysuckle

Fragrant, although not too bright, Honeysuckle flowers bloom in the winter months.

Heavenly Bamboo

Heavenly Bamboo boasts brilliant red foliage all winter.

Blueberry Bush

A New England classic, enjoy Blueberries in the late summer and look forward to red foliage in the fall and bright red branches all winter.

Didn’t have time to get them into the ground? Try colorful pots to add an additional splash of color and frame your porch, spruce up your walkway or punctuate your driveway. For a couple hundred dollars and a few hours of potting, you can set your home apart from the others in the neighborhood!