FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015 • 1C

Inside-Out

Backyards come to life

■ ALAN SLOANasloan@farragutpress.com

Adding decorative touches toresidential landscaping hasevolved inside-out: outdoor fire-places and patio-based livingrooms and kitchens are threeexamples on how to make abackyard come to life.

Decorative concrete pavers,meanwhile, are a less expensiveway to add outdoor flair toflat surfaces and further high-light a green lawn and beautifulflowers.

Tim McManus, co-owner ofHardscapes etc., Inc., 10609Lexington Drive, Knoxville, haslots of attractive ideas.

“You can go from small tolarge. You wouldn’t believe thepeople that we’ve seen puttingTVs outside under their sheds, ”said McManus, whose wife,Amanda McManus, isHardscapes co-owner. “Usingpavers with fireplaces. Justopen spaces with covers overthem.”

Some homeowners “basicallyare putting their living roomsoutside with fireplaces, televi-sions, outdoor kitchens,”McManus added. “We’ve beenseeing that coming on prettystrong the past five to eightyears.

“In custom homes it’s com-mon for that stuff to be put in

there. We’ve seen people do out-door patios from 500 squarefeet, and we seen them go up to5,000 square feet.”

What about families lookingto improve their patio landscap-ing with a more moderate budget?

“They can come out and dress[their patio], and they can start

to do that just by using pavers,”McManus said.

“We’ve seen people come outand they’ve bought a home andit’s only got a 200-square footconcrete pad. … We can extendthat pad out and get more cre-ative with it … make it moreusable and eye-appealing. …Dressing up with a decorative

concrete paver just on the flatwork. Then you can get verticalwith some of the walls.”

McManus said pavers also arebecoming more popular residen-tially “for the sidewalks, fortheir driveways. … Puttingpavers down is a lot easier, and

An outdoor kitchen accenting a backyard.

See INSIDE-OUT on Page 5C

Native plants can be the best option■ TAMMY CHEEK

tcheek@farragutpress.com

Farragut and area do-it-your-self gardeners are finding nativeplants can be the best option totheir landscapes because of theirversatility and their willingness togrow, Lisa Stanley, Stanley’sGreenhouse customer servicemanager, said.

“Here [in East Tennessee], wecan grow the most diverse kindsof plants of anywhere else in theworld,” Stanley said. “The varietythat grows here is enormous.”

Nancy Schneider, Stanley’sGreenhouse tree and shrub man-ager, said people are choosingnative plants more.

“Sometimes they come looking

for them specifically,’ she said.“The trend has really been head-ing up there in the past three orfour years, slowly but steadily.

“People are choosing nativeplants more and more, mainlybecause of some of the winterswe’ve had,” Schneider added.“They know the natives are moreapt to hold up better in those cli-mates, and they do choose thenatives because they want toincorporate more native speciesinto our landscapes.”

Stanley’s Greenhouse, 3029Davenport Road, South Knoxville,has somewhere between 50 to 70varieties of native plants,Schneider said.

Among the many plants,natives also may include trees,

such as dogwoods, mountain sil-ver bell trees, serviceberries andredbuds. Native shrubs includewinterberry holly and witchhazel. Native plants includenative phlox, native trillium, beebalm, duckbill iris and swampmilkweed.

A native plant is one that hasbeen in a particular area for thepast 100 years or longer, Stanleysaid.

“You would probably have toscale back to what was grownbefore the Civil War,” she added.

See NATIVE on Page 5CTammy Cheek

Nancy Schneider, tree and shrub manager at Stanley’sGreenhouse, looks over a mountain silverbell tree, one ofmany plants native to East Tennessee.

From a Large Selection of Dogwoods & Other Blooming Trees, Shrubs & Native Plants to the

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2C • FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015 SPRING LAWN & GARDEN

Profile: Hardscapes Etc., Inc.

It’s spring and time to start thoseplans you’ve been imagining all winterwhether for new driveways, sidewalks,patios, retaining walls, a new home buildor remolding. Hardscapes Etc., Inc. ofKnoxville has the highest quality prod-ucts and product knowledge you need tobring your imagination to life.

“We have a variety of styles and colorsto make your dreams a reality,” saidowner, Tim McManus. “From planningconcept to design, we should be yourfirst stop when shopping for hardscapes

supplies. With almost 15 years in busi-ness, we are the only specialty hard-scapes product distributor in EastTennessee specializing in concretepavers and residential and commercialsegmental retaining wall systems.”

For more information, visit the 4000square foot award winning showroom at10609 Lexington Drive off of Lovell Road,Monday-Friday 8-5; Saturday from 9-1.Call 865-671-3152 or visit www.www.hardscapesetc.com.

From concept to design,Hardscapes Etc., Inc.

should be your first stop

Sustainability is a concept that can beapplied to many facets of life, and garden-ing is no exception. Sustainable gardeninginvolves preserving and protectingresources, which can benefit us both inthe present and in the future.Sustainability is especially applicable togardening, and the following are a handfulof ways green thumbers can embrace sus-tainability in their gardens.

• Choose to water moreeffectively.

Oscillating sprinklers may harkentoday’s gardeners back to the carefreedays of their childhoods when they wouldrun through the sprinklers in their par-ents’ yards. But such sprinklers can losesubstantial amounts of water to evapora-tion. When designing an irrigation plan foryour lawn and garden, use drip irrigation

or soaker hoses to conserve water. If youmust use sprinklers, make sure they arenot shooting water too high, as wind canblow the water away from the yard whereit belongs, and be sure to position them sono water is landing on sidewalks, thedriveway or the street.

• Add mulch to flower andplant beds.

Many a gardener has gone to bed with abeautiful garden only to return in theensuing days and see flower and plantbeds littered with weeds. Mulch is per-haps best known for helping flower andplant beds retain moisture, but mulch alsoprevents the growth of weeds. Preventingweed growth means your water is going tothe plants and flowers you intended it forand not to greedy and unsightly weeds.Preventing weed growth also reduces your

use of potentially harmful pesticides tocurtail the growth of weeds.

• Develop a compost pile.Compost is made up of decayed organic

material, and it can be used as a fertilizer.Gardeners can make their own compostpiles at home, providing valuable mineralsand nutrients for their lawns, without hav-ing to rely on store-bought amendmentsthat need to be produced, packaged andtransported before they can make it ontothe shelves in your local lawn and gardencenter.

• Choose native plants.A garden filled with exotic plants and

flowers may be stunning, but unless thoseplants are native to where you live, thatbeauty is coming at a steep price. Whenchoosing plants for your garden, choosenative plants that are fully capable of

thriving in your local climate. Non-nativeplants are likely to need excessive water-ing and other less sustainable attentionthat native plants do not need.

• Plant with a plan.When planting trees around your prop-

erty, plant them in locations that canreduce your reliance on air conditioningin the warmer months. Plant a tree in aplace where it will help to shade commonareas inside your home so such rooms arecomfortable without the air conditionercranking all day long. You can go one stepfurther, and plant deciduous trees thatwill shed their leaves when the weathergets cold, ensuring that sunlight you wantto keep out in the summer can get in andwarm up the house in the winter, reducingthe amount of energy needed to heat yourhome.

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4C • FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015 SPRING LAWN & GARDEN

Veggie gardenVeggie gardenPlanting a vegetable garden can be a

worthwhile endeavor for anyone who hasan available patch of land. Gardens neednot take up much space, and even apart-ment dwellers without yards can plantsmall gardens in containers they place onterraces or window boxes.

Although establishing a garden is easyenough, beginners may make a few mis-takes along the way. Those who alreadyhave paved the garden way before canoffer novice gardeners some worthwhiletips.

One of the first decisions novice gar-

deners must make is which crops to grow.This will help determine how much landyou will need and which supplies or soilamendments will be necessary.According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac,a common error for beginners is plantingtoo much and more than anyone couldever consume, so it’s best to start smalland be proud of that small garden.

Plants such as peppers, squash andtomatoes produce throughout the season,so you may not need many plants to pro-vide for your needs. Less prolific plantsmay require a greater investment to pro-

duce a similar yield. Locate your garden in an area that gets

adequate sun. Many vegetables needbetween six and eight hours of sunlightper day. Without enough light, they willnot bear as much and could be suscepti-ble to insect infestation. Vegetables andfruit also need plenty of water becausethey’re not very drought-tolerant, so keepgardens close to a water source.

Another good tip is to locate the gar-den near the house or barbecue grill.This way you can easily harvest fresh pro-duce and use it when cooking.

Soil preparation is also key. Till the soiland remove debris like rocks, sticks andhard clumps of dirt. Work with organicmaterial, such as manure or compost.Apply mulch after planting to help main-tain moisture levels in the soil.

Plant the tallest crops at the rear ofyour garden bed. Work forward withshorter crops. Try to leave a foot or morebetween planting rows.

It’s easy to get a garden started andenjoy fresh food for many months tocome.

Enjoy fresh food for many months to come

The flowers are blooming, and the grasshas begun to grow anew, making spring agreat time for homeowners to once againturn their attention to landscaping. Thosewho aren’t looking forward to dusting offtheir lawnmowers and rethreading theirstring trimmers may want to hire profes-sional landscapers to tend to their lawnsand gardens.

A recent joint study by the NationalGardening Association, Residential Lawnand Landscape Services and the Value ofLandscaping found that homeownersspend roughly $45 billion per year on pro-fessional lawn and landscape services, asnearly 30 percent of all households acrossthe United States use at least one type oflawn or landscape service. While theimpact professional landscapers can haveon a property’s aesthetic appeal is consid-

erable, homeowners also benefit fromworking with professional landscapers invarious other ways.

• Time savings:One of the biggest benefits of leaving

lawn care to the professionals is theamount of time it will save for the averagehomeowner. Lawns generally need to bemowed once per week during the springand summer seasons and, depending onthe size of the property, that can take anhour or more. Add the time it takes toclean up clippings, mulch landscapingbeds and edge the property, and homeown-ers can expect to devote a significantchunk of their weekends to caring for theirlawns. Lawn services employ a few workerswho make fast work of the job, leaving

Benefits of hiringa professional

See PROFESSIONAL on Page 6C

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A fireplace at the center of things within an outdoor living room, making the most of your backyard patio space.

also it’s not a permanent fixture. It’s basi-cally a gravel and a sand base, but it givesthem the structural stability of concrete.

“And it gives them a very decorative

look. And it’s not too hard to put down.” Though pavers “are a little more expen-

sive to put down than concrete,”McManus said pavers “allow the system to move and you don’t have thecracks. If you pour concrete you willeventually get a crack in it. There is a lot

less maintenance.” Landscaping improvements such as

those incorporating pavers andstone/brick walls pay off in value. “Whenthey sell their home they usually add 10to 12 percent to the value of their homejust because the hardscaping they did in

the back of their yard,” McManus said. McManus estimated roughly “85 per-

cent of the jobs that I’ve got going on,they are backyard projects.”

For more information, call Hardscapes at865-671-3152 or www.hardscapesetc. com

Inside-OutFrom page 1C

“A lot of things have been brought in.“People have taken plants from homestead

to homestead,” she said. For homeowners wanting to incorporate

native plants into their landscapes, Stanleyrecommended to first look at the site,whether it is wet, dry, sunny or shady.

People will want to reach for a plant thatgrows in their environment, she said, addingthere are native plants for any type of envi-ronment.

“I’ve noticed there are plants that fit allthose,” she said. “That’s why people likenative plants.”

“People need to consider where they areplanning on putting it, how big it’s going toget and what kind of conditions it likes in thewild,” Schneider said. “Those three thingsmake [growing natives] successful.”

Stanley suggested when planting, do notplant any lower than the pot is.

“Surface it where it is in the pot,” she said.“Always water it and recognize with a lot ofplants, an umbrella effect [with the foliage]causes the water not to hit where it needs tobe.”

“Be sure and shoot your water under thefoliage and get to the roots those first coupleweeks after setting because that’s crucial,”Stanley said, adding people need to be con-sistent with their watering.

While there are some plants people candig up from the wild, Schneider warnedabout the need to be careful.

“Some plants build their own microcli-mate, their own micro-ecosystem, aroundthem and sometimes transplanting them isnot easy,” she said. “Trillium is one of those.”

Schneider recommends going to a nurserythat sells native plants because they will getsomething without insects, clean and tend-ed. Also, some plants from the wild can get“leggy,” or long and skinny.

”There are more and more [nurseries thatsell the plants] all the time,” she said.

“One benefit [of using native plants], Ithink, is that natives would add valuebecause they would be more apt to be moresturdy in an environment,” Nancy said. “Plus,they are natives, and it makes you feel goodto plant a native.”

For the environment, she said most nativeplants offer shelter and food for animals andbirds and pollen to help with the bee popula-tions.

Native plants are not usually any moreexpensive than other plants, she added.

Tammy Cheek

Planting bee balm in a garden can helpwith the bee population.

NativeFrom page 1C

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6C • FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015 SPRING LAWN & GARDEN

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• Reduced risk for injury:Maintaining a landscape is hard work,

and those unaccustomed to this type ofactivity may find themselves winded or atrisk of injury. Improper use of lawn equip-ment also is a safety hazard. Leaving thework to professionals can help homeown-ers avoid strained backs, lacerations,pulled muscles, sunburns, and any otherdangers that can result when tacklinglandscaping projects.

• Financial savings:On the surface, hiring a landscaping

service may seem like a costly venture.However, after crunching some numbers,many homeowners realize that doing thework themselves may cost more in the longrun than hiring a professional landscapingservice. Homeowners who decide to go italone must purchase expensive equip-ment, and those lawn tools will requireroutine maintenance, which costs addi-tional money. Inexperienced homeownersmay incur extra fees to “fix” mistakes thatoccur during the learning process. Each

year, new seed, fertilizer, mulch, pesti-cides, and other supplies also must be pur-chased. But professional lawn care servic-es typically charge a set fee per month, andthat fee covers the maintenance of bothyour property and the equipment neededto keep that property looking great.

• Know-how:Many professional landscapers know

how to address lawn care issues that mayarise throughout the year. They will knowhow to deal with dry patches of lawn orpoorly draining areas, and they also canmake recommendations on plants that willthrive under certain conditions.

• Consistent maintenance:Homeowners who frequently travel or

spend much of their summers away fromhome often find that lawn care companiesare a wise investment. Established weeklyschedules ensure the landscape alwayswill look its best whether homeowners arehome or out of town.

Spring is a great time for homeowners todecide if hiring professional landscapingservices is in their best interests. The timeand money saved, as well as impact profes-sional landscapers can have on a property,makes landscaping services a great invest-ment for many homeowners.

ProfessionalFrom page 4C

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8C • FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015 SPRING LAWN & GARDEN

Watering TipsSummer is a season for land-

scaping, and homeowners wholive in regions that get especial-ly hot in the summertime oftenworry that their lawns won’tmake it through the dog days ofsummer looking lush. But lawnsdon’t have to succumb to the siz-zling summer sun. Oftentimes,the right watering strategies canhelp homeowners nurse theirlawns through the hottestmonths of the year, ensuring thelawns make it to autumn lookingas green as they did back at theheight of spring.

• Reconsider when you’rewatering. Come summertime,homeowners may want a glass ofwater at high noon, when tem-peratures seem to be at theirhottest. But you and your lawnare different, so the best time tosatiate your thirst is not neces-sarily the best time to wateryour lawn. Watering in the mid-dle of the day is often ineffec-tive, as water tends to evaporatequickly in the afternoons whentemperatures are peaking.Nighttime watering can con-tribute to the growth of fungus,which can create an entirelynew set of headaches for home-owners. Morning watering ses-sions tend to be most effective

during the summertime, as tem-peratures tend to be cooler inthe morning, leading to lessevaporation. Less evaporationmeans all that watering isn’tgoing to waste.

• Reconsider your sprinkler. Ifyou can’t afford an in-groundirrigation system, which manylandscaping professionals feel isthe most effective and efficientway to water a lawn, then youlikely will rely on a sprinkler tokeep your lawn looking lushthrough the summer months.When choosing a sprinkler, lookfor one that shoots water outhorizontally as opposed to verti-cally. A vertical sprinkler systemis more vulnerable to wind andevaporation than one thatshoots water out horizontally, somake sure your sprinkler systemis sending water into your lawnand not into summer breezes.

• Avoid overwatering. Howmuch water your lawn needs inthe summertime depends on ahost of factors, including whereyou live and how often rain fallsin that region. Overwatering canpromote the growth of fungusand adversely affect your lawn’sroot system, making it difficultfor roots to grow deep. Speakwith a local landscaping profes-

sional to determine how oftenyou should water your lawn eachweek.

• Strategically position yoursprinklers. When choosingwhere to put down your sprin-klers, hook them up to yourhose, turn them on and thenwatch to see where the water isgoing. Areas that exposed to sunare most in need of water, somake sure the bulk of your waterisn’t going to shaded areasbeneath trees. In addition, makesure you aren’t wasting water onsidewalks, patios and driveways.Sprinklers should be positionedso none of the water they’reshooting out is landing on sur-faces that don’t need water. Itsounds simple, but too oftenhomeowners drop their sprin-klers down, turn them on andthen walk away without waitingto see where the water is land-ing. Position sprinklers or adjustsprinkler heads so all the wateris landing on your lawn.

Keeping a lawn lush andgreen at the height of summerrequires homeowners to adopteffective strategies. Such astrategies can make the differ-ence between a lush landscapeand one that succumbs to sum-mer heat.

Right watering strategies can ensure lawns look lush

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Did You Know?Damage to a lawn may be indicative of various problems.

Everything from insects to rodents to the family pet may beresponsible for causing burnt patches, holes and other eyesores.Getting to the bottom of the problem is the first step in remedi-ation. Burning and discoloration of the lawn is often a result ofhigh concentrations of dog urine pooling in one area. Dilutingthe urine by hosing down areas of the lawn can clear up manyproblems. Birds, raccoons, skunks, moles, and other rodentsmay feed on grubs that reside just under the thatch of the lawn,and animals may tear up lawns in search of this delicacy.Treating the grub problem usually alleviates damage caused byanimals.

FARRAGUTPRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015 • 9CSPRING LAWN & GARDEN

Maintaining bird feeders and bird baths essential to avian health

For theBirds

Bird watching is a pastime enjoyed bypeople of all ages. While many people trekinto the woods to see their favorite birds,homeowners can take steps to entice thesefascinating and feathered friends right totheir backyards.

Homeowners who want to attract birdsto their properties can do so by providingthe birds food, shelter and places to washup or cool off. Installing a bird feeder anda bird bath in your yard is one way toattract a bevy of winged creatures that canprovide hours of enjoyment.

Establishing a bird-friendly environ-ment may seem as simple as hanging afeeder on a pole or tree and erecting a birdbath nearby. But a certain level of mainte-nance is needed to keep birds healthy andhappy.

According to the experts at the BirdWatcher’s Digest, recent research indi-cates feeders can sometimes be a source ofdisease for the birds visiting them. TheAudubon Society echoes that warning, say-ing that bird feeders and baths can serveas transmission stations for diseases suchas aspergillosis, avian pox and salmonel-losis. Recently, scientists noted that thespread of trichomonad protozoan parasitesis on the rise, especially among mourningdove and band-tailed pigeon populations.

Such warnings are not meant to deter

budding birding hobbyists. Organizationslike the Audobon Society hope that suchwarnings send the message that disinfec-tion and maintenance is necessary tomaintain sanitary environments for birds.Doing so is relatively easy and well worththe time for birding enthusiasts.

• The Humane Society of the UnitedStates advises cleaning hanging feedersonce every two weeks or more often ifthey’re heavily used. Ground-feedingdesigns should be cleaned every two days.Feeders can be immersed in a very-dilutedsolution of bleach to water (nine partswater to one part bleach). Let soak for afew minutes, and then scrub the feederwith a stiff brush or scouring pad beforerinsing. Allow the feeder to dry completelybefore refilling it with seed.

• Bird baths should be emptied of watereach day. Brush or wipe the bath clean,then rinse and refill with fresh water. Donot leave standing water overnight; other-wise bird baths can easily become a breed-ing ground for mosquitoes and other para-sites.

• Frequently collect discarded seedhulls and clean bird droppings frombeneath feeders. If the area around thefeeder has become especially soiled, relo-cate the feeder elsewhere and clean its ini-tial location.

• Follow proper instructions with regardto seed and other bird food. For example,reduce the amount of suet offered in hotweather. Heat can cause suet to spoil, andsticky suet can become stuck in birds’feathers and make it hard for them to keepclean.

• Try to provide more than one feederand bird bath to prevent overcrowding.Crowding can contribute to the spread ofdisease.

• Do not situate feeders and bird bathsunder perches where they can be soiled bydroppings.

• If you notice birds look sick or are notacting strangely, halt feeding and bathingto prevent healthy birds from becoming ill.Wait a week before resuming feeding and

notify wildlife officials if you find dead orsick birds around your property.

• Locate feeders and baths at least 30feet away from windows so birds do not getconfused by reflections and collide withthe glass.

• Store seed in a dry container with atight-fitting lid to prevent mold from form-ing and moisture from getting in.

Creating a thriving habitat for birdwatching is easier than one might think.But once birds begin visiting a yard, home-owners must diligently maintain cleanfeeders and bird baths to ensure the birdsstay as healthy as possible. Any questionsabout wild-bird care can be directed to alocal Audubon Society chapter or by visit-ing a pet store or bird hobby center.

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