Thirty percent of all outdoor lighting in the U.S. is wasted, not serving the purpose for which it was installed. That’s about $3.3 billion in energy cost and the release of 21 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. To offset all this carbon dioxide, we’d have to plant 875 million trees annually. This, according to statistics released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). We—homeowners, gardeners, even apartment dwellers—can light our homes, our patios, and our gardens with more attention to protecting the environment. You may want professional help or to make this a Do-It-Yourself re-lighting project. A DIY job will cost approximately $20/fixture, 10¢/ft. of cable, and $200 for a transformer, then the trenching starts. An outdoor lighting specialist’s fees will start around $2,000. Either way, let me offer some helpful information: 1: The main criteria for environmentally responsible lighting, 2: The types of lighting customarily used for residences, and 3: Tips to help you work with your electricians or succeed as a Do-It-Yourselfer. A key resource is the International Dark-Sky Association. They have criteria for ecologically responsible lighting and provide an evaluation and Seal of Approval that is granted to manufacturers of outdoor lighting fixtures and materials. Look for or ask for the IDA Seal of Approval on equipment you purchase or have installed.
1. The criteria for environmentally responsible lighting include:
auto time controls, where appropriate
glare control and minimized light trespass (keep lighting from spreading beyond the intended focus)
minimize brightness
minimize Blue Light emissions—prevent light that interrupts circadian rhythms (animal and human)
maximize shielding (lights directed, preferably down) to avoid “sky glow”
2. Based on the affects you want to achieve in your front yard, back yard, garden, patio, driveway, and walkways, you can choose from variety of light sources, including:
Solar powered garden path lights and string lights that vary in price, brightness, ease of installation.
Brick lights that can be recessed into walls, pathways, even steps. Caution: Be sure they’re installed with easy access for replacing bulbs and batteries, or repairing wiring.
Battery operated accent lamps.
Battery powered curtain lights; dramatic strings of lights hanging down, creating a wall or cascade of tiny lights.
Glow-in-the-dark paint, an often-overlooked option, adds an extra measure of safety along paths and on steps.
3. In addition, consider these tips when you’re planning and designing your eco-friendly exterior lighting.
What is the purpose of the lighting: atmosphere, emphasis, security, safety?
Five traditional locations for lighting:
House façade, avoid direct lighting on the front door or windows. Use a softer, spreading light directed at an architectural feature or plants near the entry.
Trees, if you are using ground lights up, aim for the trunk and leaves. If you only aim at the tree’s crown it will look disconnected from the earth. If you can, add a few lights high in the tree aiming down, mimicking the shadows of leaves in the moonlight.
Garden walls should be lit close to the wall to emphasize texture.
Flower beds and pathways are perfect for shielded ground lights.
Paths can be lit with well lights—circular and buried in the path.
Here are four final cautions to help you accomplish a satisfying project:
Motion sensors cut down overuse of lighting and add security.
Low wattage, outdoor bulbs, 50 watts or less, usually work best.
Avoid bright lights streaming into neighbors’ windows and gardens.
Use downward not upward lighting whenever possible to avoid dark-sky pollution.
We’re all enjoying the glorious blooms of summer—blue and lavender multi-flora hydrangea, orange and yellow zinnias, creamy Magnolia blossoms, rosy cone flowers, and ubiquitous Black-Eyed Susans. Perhaps you even have floribunda or knock-out roses in coral, white, and pink. Soon we’ll all enjoy sedum, in their subtle hues, blue and purple asters, elegant, purple spiked Agastache, and delicate pink and white statice adding to our gardens’ lush color bouquet.
How about preserving these beauties so they can be enjoyed during winter? There are four simple and common methods of preserving blooms. You might try several approaches; see which method gives your flowers the look you’re after for dried arrangements. With a bit of planning and some simple materials, it’s possible to preserve some of those beauties, retaining most or all of their color and grace. Even if the first few attempts disappoint, don’t give up. You’ll soon figure out just the technique that works for you and your garden’s blooms.
The four techniques are: (1) oven drying, using a microwave or traditional oven, (2) air drying, (3) drying using sand or rice, and (4) pressed drying, using heavy books.
Before we get into the techniques for drying flowers, consider how you’ll collect your specimens. Think of the drying of blossoms as an ongoing project. As blooms reach their peak, cut and dry them. You might do a few flowers every week, or even more often when your garden is at its showiest.
1. Microwave or Oven Drying:
You’ll need silica gel crystals (available at craft stores) for the microwave method.
1. Line a microwave-safe container with silica gel crystals to a depth of 1-inch. 2. Carefully remove the flowers from their stems and set each flower into the silica gel crystals so the petals do not touch one-another. 3. Gently pour silica gel crystals over the blooms until they’re covered. 4. At a LOW power setting, microwave the dish of blooms (uncovered) for 2–5 minutes. (Check occasionally to see if the flowers seem dry.) 5. Remove the container from the microwave and cover, leaving a space for moisture to escape. After 24 hours, uncover container and remove gel crystals by gently brushing blooms. (An old makeup brush works well.) 6. Spray dried flowers with crafter’s acrylic or hairspray and attach flowers to wire “stems.” OVEN method:1. Preheat oven to 200F. 2. Arrange blossoms (foliage removed) on cookie sheet lined with parchment. 3. Bake for 8 hours, uncovered, with the oven door cracked to release moisture. 4. Allow flowers to cool on cookie sheet before handling.
This is a lovely method if you like an antique look—works best for bouquets and nosegays.
1. Gather your flowers—lavender, statice, lilies, roses, and leave at least a 6” stem on each bloom. Strip the stems of leaves. (The leaves won’t dry properly.) 2. Tie stems together in the arrangements you desire. Use twine or rubber bands; ribbons can be added later. 3. For 2–3 weeks, hang the drying clusters upside down in a well-ventilated area, out of reach of children and pets. Avoid areas where direct sunlight might fade the flowers. 4. When thoroughly dry, take down the bouquets, spray with acrylic or hair spray, and decorate with ribbons or arrange in baskets and bowls.
3. Drying in Sand or Rice:
This method is inexpensive and uses non-toxic material. These materials are heavy, so use only with sturdy blooms.
1. Collect your flowers and remove foliage. 2. Gather sturdy boxes with lids—shoe boxes work well, and lots of clean sand or rice. 3. Layer the bottom of the box with a half-inch of sand or rice and arrange blossoms, with or without stems, in the box so the flowers do not touch. 4. Slowly and carefully pour sand or rice over and around each flower, being careful to get in between petals, until the flowers are completely covered. Close the box lid tightly. 5. Leave covered 2–3 weeks before removing sand or rice carefully from around the dried blooms. Brush gently with soft bristles to remove remaining crystals or kernels. (Spraying blooms with preservative is an option.)
4. Pressed Drying:
This traditional method of preserving flowers was popular in the Victorian age. It’s still romantic to find an antique bloom pressed between the pages of a favorite novel or collection of poetry.
1. Gather a few heavy books or a flower press if you have access to one. You’ll also need heavy paper such as watercolor paper or card stock and sheets of parchment. 2. Gather the blooms you want to preserve. They will be flattened, so keep that in mind when selecting the flowers. 3. Open a book and place a piece of heavy paper on the page, then a piece of parchment. 4. Arrange the flowers, face down, on the parchment, then cover the flowers with another piece of parchment and, finally, another absorbent paper. (You’ll have four layers of paper.) 5. Close the book and pile on several more heavy volumes. (Rely on your own judgement as to the weight you’ll need.) 6. After 3–4 weeks, you can remove the weight and see the antique-looking flowers on the page. You may want to leave them in the book, but remove all but one sheet of parchment, to protect the book’s page. If you remove the flowers from the book, you’ll need to decide on some other flat surface to store or display the blooms—perhaps in a shadow-box frame or on a side table under a sheet of glass.
Whatever you choose to do with your summer garden’s beauties—arrangements in vases, wreathes, gift decorations, nosegays, you’ll be reminded of the beauty of your garden throughout the winter months until the garden comes to life again.
My neighbor’s hanging baskets and flowerpots are the envy of the neighborhood. She’s talented florist and decorator, Rhonda Sears. Recently, I asked her the secret of her always unique and beautiful floral containers and pots. Her answer, “One word, surprise. Find something unique and build your arrangement around that.” Ah, the artist’s eye.
Let me break down into five steps the process of creating beautiful and unique planters: (1) What is the purpose of the planter? (2) Where is the pot to be located? (3) What effect are you going for? (4) How is a healthy potting environment created? (5) What are the steps in maintaining the pot? We’ll also keep in mind Sears’ element of surprise.
Purpose:
There are lots of reasons to add potted flowers and window boxes to our gardens.
Masking a flaw: There may be that one area of one flower bed where your sweet pet enjoys soaking up the sun. Nothing gets a chance to grow there. A pretty pot of geraniums or begonias might discourage puppy and solve that problem. Or, that area beneath the old magnolia where sun seldom reaches; a large, dramatic pot of ferns and caladium could surprise the wandering eye.
Adding pizzazz: Does that flowerbed near the driveway need a bit of punch? How about an unusual pot that will liven up the area? Keep the planting simple with an unusual cluster of twigs or an antique garden tool as the focus. Perhaps the “pop” will come from the clustering of pots—vary the size or color, but stick to some unifying plants to retain the grouping effect.
Outdoor vacation for houseplants: I like to set out my sweet house plants once the warm weather truly sets in. They’ve kept us company all winter, and now they deserve a bit of natural light, not to mention some repotting, root freshening, and fertilizer. I find a spot with filtered light and protection from the wind and set out the dears for their summer vacation.
Location:
Just as with the transplanting of any plant, shrub, or tree, consider three basic issues when deciding on the setting for your pots and containers:
Sun and shade: After all your planning and efforts, you’ll want your lovely arrangements to thrive. For that to happen, the plants must get the amount of sunlight and shade they require—with very little deviation. That means choosing plants that share the same preferences and being sure you’ve carefully evaluated the locations you’re using. Additionally, it’s helpful to think about each location’s vulnerability to wind. Many plants can be affected by constant winds, even if it seems mild to us.
Size: I’ve found myself very disappointed after spending hours planting a pot of varied plants, only to find the whole effect looks positively puny in the location I had in mind. What may seem BIG in your potting shed, may look much smaller set near the towering, elegant Foxglove or Delphinium. Play around a bit with the pots you plan to use. Group them, arrange them, take pictures of a particular pot in several locations—before you load it with soil and plants.
Watering: When you finish creating your flowerpots, they’ll be heavy. You’re not going to want to move them very often. So, consider how you will water each pot. Will the hose reach? Must you bring a sprinkling can for the daily watering…will you do that?
Effect:
All the thought you’ve put into your pot-plans will pay off now. What are you really going for with these additions to your garden? As my florist neighbor, Sears says, “You want a thriller, a filler, and a spiller.” Something tall and unusual (the thriller), with lower and lush begonias or annuals to fill the planter, and some ivy or Creeping Jenny to spill over the pots’ edge, softening the effect.
Drama: My front porch is small and simple. I might want to add a tall pot with a few shade-tolerant plants for a memorable “welcome.” Or perhaps your patio needs some “zing.” A cluster of red and orange pots of varying sizes, filled with bright marigolds and stately yucca might be just the ticket.
Lushness: There always seems to be an uncooperative place in the garden that refuses to nurture the plants placed there, no matter how you look after them. By adding a few containers of varying sizes and material, you can disguise this “dead zone” as a lush and welcoming spot.
Planting and Maintaining:
You may already know the process of grouping plants in pots or containers, but I’ll do a quick review, in case there’s something I can offer that you may not have considered.
Prepare the pots: If the pots are new, remove any labels or potentially toxic substances stuck to the pot. Check for at least one good size drainage hole. If the new pot is glazed inside, line the pot with gardener’s cloth (a porous, usually black fabric) that will help maintain the proper pH balance in the soil and roots. If the pot has been used before, rinse it down. Be sure the drain hole(s) is clear.
Filling the pots: You’ll need potting soil—loose soil that will allow water to drain. There is a debate among gardeners as to putting pebbles in the bottom of the pot to aid in drainage. If the pot is quite large, some gardeners advise filling the bottom third of the pot with packing peanuts to lighten the pot. (I’ve done this and found no ill effects—pot and plants did well.)
Watering and fertilizing: Depending on the amount of sunshine the pot receives, water often enough so the plant’s roots are never too wet or too dry. Fertilize each time you water.
Deadheading: To encourage those pretty blooms, deadhead the plants—that is remove the dead blossoms. Avoid dropping the dead blossoms around the pot.
Whatever you decide to do with your planters and the plants that fill them, have fun. You’ll surprise yourself with the original ideas you’ll come up with.
I am delighted to share with you my recent interview, hosted by poet Henry Crawford. It was am honor to speak with Henry about writing poetry and to read one of my poems.
With autumn slipping into our consciousness, we gardeners sometimes examine our gardens for ways to make things even lovelier next season. Let me suggest three useful activities—moving shrubs and plants for optimum beauty, and two simple methods for creating new plants from our faithful dears by propagation.
So, here are three useful suggestions for expanding and enhancing your garden now that September is here:
Transplanting:
Survey your garden. Those beautiful hostas have doubled in size. That white peony overflows her part of the flowerbed. And what about those irises? They’ve begun to encroach on their neighboring phlox.
Take a look at your shrubs and plants. If they’re too large or clash in color or foliage with the rest of their bedmates, move them. (They’ll be fine with it.)
Choose a site with appropriate sunlight and dig a hole.
Around the plant to be moved, carefully dig in a circle about 6” from the stem.
Gently lift out the root ball and loosen roots from any tightly packed soil.
In the new hole place a handful of Epsom salt crystals and drop in the root ball. Backfill around the plant, gently tapping down the soil. (Do not pack the soil too tightly.)
Water thoroughly and continue to watch that the relocated plant gets sufficient moisture and light.
Avoid fertilizing now. The plant is settling in and recovering; we want to encourage growth in the root system, not more leaves and blossoms.
Plants that are particularly happy to be divided: hosta, astilbe, peony, iris, coral bells, hellebores, phlox, canna, daylilies
This is a great way to keep a beautiful specimen in your garden. Look for those healthy, full plants and shrubs—they may even be the ones that are getting a bit too big for their setting.
Begin by digging up the plant as you would for moving. (See above.)
Gently remove it from the ground and lay it on its side so you can see the root ball.
Using your hands, loosen the roots as much as possible without damaging them.
With a sharp knife or small spade, start from the bottom of the root ball and cut upward toward the plant’s foliage. Be careful to avoid cutting major roots. You’re looking to create two root balls and plants.
Add some Epsom salt to the bottom of the original hole, then return one of the halves to its hole. Backfill and thoroughly water the plant.
Now that you can see the size of the new root ball, decide on a new location and dig a hole. Be sure you’ve considered the amount of daily light and proximity of other plants. Your newly-created plant will undergo separation anxiety for a while.
Drop in a few crystals of Epsom salt and the root ball. Follow the same procedure as with the “mother” plant—backfill and thoroughly water.
Until the first frost, keep an eye on the separated plants. Be sure they’re getting sufficient water (but not soggy.) There may be some drooping leaves, but don’t be dismayed. They’ll perk up before long.
The particular joy of “dividing” plants is that you keep these happy plants growing as a family. There’s a history developing among the sister plants.
Outdoor Plants that are easily propagated with cuttings: Geraniums, Spirea, Basil, Fuschia, Dahlia, Azalea, Hydrangea
Indoor plants that are easily propagated with cuttings: Pothos, Philodendron, Snake plants, Begonia, Succulents, Spider plants, Cacti
There are other forms, such as grafting, that can be used to create new plants from old, but they’re a bit too complicated for my kind of gardening time and interest. So, let me give you a rundown on this easy and almost foolproof method of adding favorite plants to your garden next spring.
Simple steps-by-step for propagation with cuttings:
Tools needed: sharp knife or garden scissors, pot, loose soil (possibly mixed with Vermiculite or Perlite for drainage), water
Choose a sturdy stem of a healthy plant or shrub.
Cut a 4–6” section of stem, or for succulents a plump leaf is sufficient.
Remove leaves on the lower half of the piece
For succulents only: leave the leaf or stem to harden or seal for 24 hrs. before setting it in sand or very dry soil. (Sometimes tiny pebbles will work as the growing medium.)
Gently immerse the section of stem in damp, loose soil or in water. (If you’re trying the water method, be sure to use a container that will allow only the lower 1/3 to 1/2 of the stem to be submerged.) Be sure the soil is not wet but keep it slightly damp.
Set the cutting in its medium in diffused light. Be patient! This will take a while. Within 4–6 weeks, sometimes sooner, you’ll have tiny roots growing. (That’s why the water method is fun. You can watch as the roots begin to emerge from the stem.)
When the roots seem sufficiently developed, set the cutting into a pot of the appropriate size. Use clean, fresh soil, not too compacted. Cover only the lower 1/3 of the stem and roots with soil. (Be careful not to let the cutting sit too long in the water; it will eventually rot.)
Watch your lovely new plant grow and flourish. You can pinch off too-long stems to shape the plant as it grows.
These small projects in our gardens will not only enhance the beauty and strength of our plants, but the relocated shrub, the sister hostas, and the family of young begonias from last fall’s garden will brighten our gardens next spring.
It’s estimated that there are approximately 200,000 to 250,000 white tail deer in Maryland according to the Department of Natural Resources; that’s approximately 20 deer per acre. (No, that doesn’t mean there are 20 deer lurking in your garden. Don’t panic.) Sometimes it does seem the deer have thrown a party in my garden. My hosta are the first course, then they move on to whatever looks tasty.
Let’s take another look at ways to keep these beautiful animals from using our gardens as fast-food eatery. There are four predictable types of deterrents:
How we use these methods and how to maintain a consistent defense over the long weeks of our growing season—those are the issues. Basically, when it comes to fencing, you either have or you don’t have the desire or the room for an 8-foot fence around your garden. (Anything lower will not deter those high-jumping deer.)
So, that leaves us with home remedies and plantings. Deer eat 3–5 percent of their body weight every day. And they’re creatures of habit! When deciding on revising your garden’s plantings to defend against hungry deer, keep these four points in mind:
Deer have good memories; that is the good news and the bad news. If they’re persuaded your garden is undesirable, they’ll stay away.
Preventing deer from grazing in your garden is easier than trying to change their habits once you’re part of their dining schedule.
Nutritional needs influence the plants they’ll choose to eat.
Deer share their discoveries. Once you’ve got a single diner, it won’t be long before the whole family will be in your garden.
Before I list some of the best deer-resistant plants, let me review some of the alternative deterrents:
Hang bags of human hair around the perimeter of the garden. (It’s not an attractive look, but neither are chomped plants.)
Hang bars of soap from trees and tall shrubs. (Irish Spring is purported to be particularly effective.)
Coffee grounds: spread them around plants.
Noisy dogs: if you don’t mind leaving your dog loose in your garden, the deer will stay away. You’ll have to let the dog guard your garden in the early mornings and at dusk, the times deer are usually out grazing.
Coyote decoys work, though I’m not sure how that decoy will fit into your garden’s design.
Spray a mixture of cinnamon, clove, mint, vinegar, and dish soap on perimeter plants.
Hang reflective tape like ribbons from branches and fences.
Wind chimes work sometimes; deer are spooked by unexpected noises. Remember, the windchime only chimes if there is a breeze. Where you place the wind chimes may determine the effectiveness of this deterrent.
Motion-activated sprinklers work…for a while. Anecdotal reports suggest the deer soon figure out how to avoid the sprinkler or simply ignore it.
Motion-activated lights, like sprinklers, work only for a time. Too soon the deer will appreciate the extra lighting for their late-night dining.
Good, old-fashioned pinwheels can work, but like windchimes, they rely on breezes and have no effect if they’re out of the wind.
Flags, both the kind that hang along a long cord and the single flags we see on sticks and flagstaffs.
Ultrasonic sound waves and flashing LED lights seem to be the most effective and long-lasting deterrents. (Your neighbors won’t be disturbed by the sound waves, but they may be unhappy with the flashing lights.)
These Do Not Work:
Dryer sheets
Pine-So
Owl decoys
Baking soda
Human urine
Now, on to using plantings to protect your garden and plants that deer don’t like to eat.
Protective Planting: Plant defensively around the perimeter of your garden. These shrubs and trees are prickly, unpleasant in the sensitive mouths of deer: American Holly, Juniper, Boxwood, Switchgrass (I know it’s an ornamental grass, not a shrub, but in the mouth of a deer it is sharp and uncomfortable.) Plant carefully chosen deer-resistant plants among your more vulnerable plants—nature’s guards. (Be sure to think about plants that share similar sun and moisture requirements.)
Deer-resistant Perennials:Lavender: fragrant to us, stinky to deer Catmint: also, pleasant to us but not to our unwanted guests Russian sage: handsome and prickly Peonies: they’re actually rather toxic for deer Foxglove: another plant toxic to deer (and to any other animals that might chew on it) Bee balm: lovely for bees and icky to the deer, a win-win plant Lenten Rose (Hellebore): thick leaves that deer ignore
Ornamental Grasses the deer dislike:Maiden Grass: quite tall and dramatic, but deer dislike having to pass through it Fountain Grass: they have spikes that deter deer Blue fescue: tough grass that deer avoid
Shrubs the deer dislike:Boxwood: sour smell and bitter taste Bluebeard (Caryopteris): attracts butterflies and bees Barberry: thorny, colorful shrub with pretty, fall berries
Whatever you decide to do, or if you decide to do nothing, our furry neighbors will be around. We can try to make our gardens an unwelcome dining spot, so the deer won’t make our gardens part of their regular rounds.
I am delighted to announce the publication of my first chapbook of original poems. The collection is available on Amazon. (Click on the image to go directly to the Amazon webpage.)
The subtle beauty of Janice Fuhrman Booth’s What Remains brings to mind The Delicacy and Strength of Lace – title of Leslie Marmon Silko’s and James Wright’s volume of correspondence. With literary touchstones ranging from lucille clifton to Marcel Proust, a variety of intriguing poetic forms, and her calm mien, Booth crafts a revelatory poetry grounded in learnings that have “taken…a lifetime…to know.” I love her clear eye toward the natural world, her deft wit, and the way she goes about her work, “patiently … dispersing grief/cleansing.” Dr. Terry Bohnhorst Blackhawk Kresge Arts in Detroit Literary Fellow
Like drifting into reverie, these poems immerse the reader in the flux of time and memory. Poet Janice Booth trains her powerful vision on, “… the edge of the past, not the whole / A plane of singular clarity. //” In poems of quietude and strength, grief and mourning for the lost beloved coexist indelibly on the page with a joyous celebration of the crisp mornings of rural childhood. These poems have a music all their own. It is,“ the sound of a wild heart in repose.” Ellen Wise, Poet
Sometimes all the flowers and rivers and birds in the world come together to make song—to make memory and meaning. Janice Booth’s What Remains tells us that the earth’s bounty—as well as the heart’s bounty— is pure poetry. Grace Cavalieri. Maryland’s tenth Poet Laureate
Janice Booth reminds us, in this outstanding debut collection, to “Look out, look up, look in,” and then leads us to do exactly that. Using the imagery of nature and everyday experience, past and present, she illuminates the beauty, mystery and fragility inherent in our own lives. Natalie Canavor, author & poet
I’m honored to have my poem included among those published in this handsome chapbook. The reading and this resulting collection were planned and executed by Annapolis Poet Laureate, Jefferson Holland.
Thirty percent of all outdoor lighting in the U.S. is wasted, not serving the purpose for which it was installed. That’s about $3.3 billion in energy cost and the release of 21 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. To offset all this carbon dioxide, we’d have to plant 875 million trees annually. This, according to statistics released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). We—homeowners, gardeners, even apartment dwellers—can light our homes, our patios, and our gardens with more attention to protecting the environment. You may want professional help or to make this a Do-It-Yourself re-lighting project. A DIY job will cost approximately $20/fixture, 10¢/ft. of cable, and $200 for a transformer, then the trenching starts. An outdoor lighting specialist’s fees will start around $2,000. Either way, let me offer some helpful information: 1: The main criteria for environmentally responsible lighting, 2: The types of lighting customarily used for residences, and 3: Tips to help you work with your electricians or succeed as a Do-It-Yourselfer. A key resource is the International Dark-Sky Association. They have criteria for ecologically responsible lighting and provide an evaluation and Seal of Approval that is granted to manufacturers of outdoor lighting fixtures and materials. Look for or ask for the IDA Seal of Approval on equipment you purchase or have installed. 
Opening Lines 