Winter Gardens

BY JANICE F. BOOTH

OCT. 24, 2020

What’s Up? Magazine & e-zine

With winter approaching, our gardens, whatever their sizes, remind us that summer has ended. That pretty, red geranium won’t last past the first frost; our Hellebores will droop and wither.  And what about that cheery, red tomato plant brightening the patio and our salads?  It too is at the end of its season.  

But, don’t be too downhearted.  I have a few suggestions that may lift your spirits and give you a chance to continue gardening all winter long. 

How about bringing just a bit of your summer garden indoors for the cold months ahead?  Or, start a fresh, indoor garden—maybe a few vegetables and herbs.  It might be fun seeing if you can coax some carrots and radishes to flourish on your window ledge and brighten your winter salads. 

So, first let’s talk about bringing some of your favorite plants indoors, and then I’ll go over some of the vegetables and herbs that can be fun to raise indoors.

Relocating Annuals Indoors

Perennial plants are equipped to survive winter and actually need that dormant “cool down” for their roots and bulbs to regenerate and gather energy for spring growth.  Annuals can’t tolerate the cold. But, with a bit of preparation, annuals will keep growing and, in some cases, even bloom indoors throughout the bleak months of winter. 

There are two ways to bring your pretty annuals inside:

#1 Dig up the healthiest specimens of each annual.

• Be careful to dig a few inches away from the plant’s stem, lifting out a pot-size root ball. 

• Check your plant for bugs. Look for things like tiny white aphids on the underside of the leaves and where the leaf meets the stem. If you see any suspicious little specks or crawlies, hose off the plant with a gentle but firm spray of water. Another method, which I prefer to insure I’ve gotten the bugs, is to fill a pail with water and a few drops of dish soap.  Submerge the plant in the water for 10–15 minutes. That will get rid of insects on the plant and among the roots – another hiding place for those pests.

• Using fresh potting soil, situate your specimens in clean pots or bowls, pitchers, or whatever you think will be an attractive container. Be sure there is drainage. You may need to add vermiculite to the soil and/or line the bottom of the pot or bowl with small pebbles so the roots won’t sit in water. 

• When choosing the containers, keep in mind where you plan to place the plants.  If you have narrow windowsills, you’ll want to choose containers that will sit on those narrow surfaces. Or, you might want to buy windowsill extensions or plant stands.

• Thoroughly water the old plants in their new soil nests. You’ll want the soil to settle around the roots to avoid air pockets among the roots.

• Most plants are light sensitive. Some prefer diffused light, others bright sunshine. You’ll know where to place your annuals based on where they flourished outdoors. Try to find steady light for your flowering friends, as they acclimate to being indoors. If they’re happy and you’re lucky, you may get pretty blooms in December and January.

• Speaking of acclimating: After you’ve potted your plants, you may want to help them adjust to their new homes gradually by setting them outdoors, on the deck or porch during the day for a week or so. Be sure to bring them in at night; you don’t want them to get too cold.  The gradual change in climate will make it easier for your plants to feel at home in their indoor surroundings.

• Don’t be alarmed if, at first, the plants drop some or many of their leaves. As long as little leaf buds begin to appear along the stems, they’ll be okay. Expand

#2 Start new plants by using cuttings from your outdoor annuals.  

(This technique is lots of fun, and may make a great project to share with children—your own, your neighbors, and grandchildren. It could even serve as a science experiment if you and your little assistant take photos and keep records of watering, fertilizing, and growth. Think about it as a remote project to share with little ones who are far away. They can participate with the coaxing of the cuttings and watching the plants grow and flourish via the internet.)

• Some of the sure-fire annuals that respond well to reproduction by cutting include: Lantana, Coleus, Fuchsia, Wax Begonia, and Sweet Potato Vine.  If none of those are growing in your garden, there are others, of course, which you can research on-line.

• Take your cutting sheers, a basket or flat box lined with wet paper towels, and wander through your flower beds looking for healthy, happy annuals.  Look for the newish growth and snip a cutting that’s about 6” long; you may want to take 3–4 cuttings of each type of plant. Avoid cutting a section that has a flower or bud on it; the plant will have used its energy producing the flower. If you can only find a piece with a bud or flower, snip off the flower. Carefully lay your cuttings on the damp towel. (If you think you’ll forget which cutting is from which variety of annual, devise some way to make notes. For example, take a picture of the plant with your cutting(s) next to it so you can refer back to the pictures later if you forget which little, sprouting cutting will become a begonia, which a Sweet Potato Vine.  You’ll need to keep track somehow, since the amount of light required by each species will dictate each little plant’s location.) 

• Once you have your cuttings, place the cuttings of a single type of plant in each jar, and add water up to about 2–3” from the base of the cuttings.  You might have one jar with all the begonia cuttings, another jar with all the coleus.  Be careful to submerge only about 1/3 of each piece. You don’t want the cuttings to drown, only to send out shoots/roots to absorb the water and nutrients. 

• Set the jars in windows that have good light but not harsh sunlight. Within two weeks you’ll begin to see delicate tendrils emerging from the cuttings’ bases. (Don’t forget to take photos if you’re sharing the progress with children.)  Over the next week these delicate roots will fill-in and become stronger. 

• When you see a network of these rootlets, it’s time to plant the cuttings in their winter home.  You may want to put several cuttings in one pot, which encourages a fuller plant. Or, you might want to put each cutting in its own pot.  Like Goldie Locks and the Three Bears, each little plant will want a home that is not too big or too small.  You can usually pick up tiny clay pots that will hold these new plants. But, any small container could work.

• Once the cuttings are planted in fresh potting soil and settled in their new homes, water each pot so the soil is moist but not soggy, perhaps adding some light fertilizer. Be sure to give them enough water to settle plant roots.

• Move the new plants to the locations you’ve chosen for them—with just the right amount of light, and plan to water them as needed, usually once a week.  If you’re working with a budding scientist, be sure to keep a record of watering amounts, hours of sunlight, and plant growth.Expand

Setting Up a Winter Vegetable and Herb Garden Indoors

While I don’t recommend you give up trips to the grocer for fresh vegetables and fruit, you may want to experiment with raising a variety of vegetables in your own window garden. Again, this might be a great activity to undertake with young people. You’ll only need a few things to get started:

Location: For most herbs and vegetables, you need windows that provide sunlight 5–6 hours most days. (Failing this, you can invest in grow lights. Some companies produce grow lights that will fit in regular light sockets.)

Equipment: Purchase high-quality vegetable and herb starter plants and seeds, pots that breathe; terracotta, for example, and non-permeable trays to hold the pots and any drainage. You may also want to devise some shelves or cases to hold your garden.

Watering: Obviously, water and fertilizer will be essential. Different herbs and vegetables require different amounts of water, so you may want to prepare some sort of chart or calendar for watering and fertilizing.

Once you have prepared your resources, the fun begins.  Among the herbs and vegetables that lend themselves to indoor gardens are:

Arugula: adds a bit of zing to winter salads and can be “harvested” several times since it grows back after cutting.

Carrots: short varieties such as Little Fingers: be careful to plant the seeds in containers deep enough to allow the root plant to grow.

Culantro (similar to Cilantro): a sweet, not bitter, herb that adds zest for cooking.

Kale: adds color as well as flavor to winter meals. Gardener Tiffany Davis advises you harvest the outer kale leaves as the inner leaves continue to mature outward. 

Leaf celery: (not stalk celery) adds color to a salad; Leaf celery can be pink or lime green.

Lemon grass: a distinctive herb; the plant will grow quite large, so choose a big pot, and keep it in a warm location, away from drafts.

Potatoes: while it’s fun to harvest and eat your own winter potatoes, you may want to buy specially designed bags in which potatoes can be grown. These bags come with rich soil and the seed potatoes ready to be planted. You won’t be raising these potatoes for a quantity harvest. 

Radishes: fun root vegetables that are easy to grow and tasty.

Sprouts: those familiar, nutty little veggies that will grow almost anywhere in almost any substance. They can be bought as sprout kits.

Tomatoes: Ah, how lovely to have some plump, little Cherry Tomatoes to pluck from your own vine. They’ll require patience, but they’ll be worth the wait.

Whatever you decide to grow in your indoor, winter garden, you will have some frustrations, but you’ll also have some triumphs and fun.  Winter is a perfect time for expanding your gardening expertise and enjoying the small, easy challenges of a window garden or veggies and herbs under grow lights. Who knows; you might find it’s almost as satisfying to garden in winter as it is in summer.

Gardening’s For the Birds

BY JANICE F. BOOTH

AUG. 19, 2020

PrintExpand

As summer draws to a close, we can look ahead to autumn’s delights. One of fall’s pleasures may be enjoying your fall garden. The little joys—the unremitting blooms of the Black-eyed Susans, the tender roots of that Boxwood twig you planted, and, hopefully, the call of the Canada geese winging their way south. I hope, dear reader, that you and I can hold onto some of the insights we gained from our months of self-isolation and apply those insights now and in the future—how satisfying it became to simply watch the trees bud and leaves emerge. What a simple pleasure, having the time to watch the squirrels scamper across the telephone wires and the birds nibble at your feeder. 

Let me propose an easy and satisfying project based on our reawakened enjoyment of life’s simple pleasures. Why not devise adaptations to our gardens, patios, or decks to make these areas even more welcoming to those songbirds, bees, and butterflies that have entertained us during our long sequestration? Some of those little, feathered balls of energy may winter over here in Maryland while others can be enticed to return next spring to our welcoming gardens. Expand

Why garden with birds, bees, and butterflies in mind? 

There are at least five solid reasons for encouraging these tiny creatures to visit your garden. 

• Birds and butterflies entertain and delight us. (Honey bees, too, can prove entertaining—at a safe distance, of course.) There is the simple pleasure of watching them zoom in to rest on a railing or perch on your feeder. What are they thinking as they select the perfect seed, cooperating with one another or pushing each other out of the way—not unlike kids on the playground. How does that delicate splash of color emerge from its dull cocoon? The minor-key song of the Chickadee, the melodic chirrups of the Song sparrow, the hearty songs of the Robins fill the day. There’s also the particular pleasure of learning to identify the birds that visit our feeders. Is that a House finch or a Purple finch? Am I listening to the Cardinal’s song, or is that a Robin? How does that Nuthatch hang on as he skitters, head down the trunk of that oak? It always takes my breath away, watching a tiny Goldfinch undulate like a yellow snake across the sky. As we learned during our forced confinement, there is a great deal to be observed, if we have the time and the patience. 

• Another compelling reason to provide for the birds, bees, and butterflies is the work they do in our gardens. They are the seeders and pollinators. They carry the potential for new plants and the magic dust that allows plants to flower and reproduce. Without the pollinators our mums and asters would never bloom, our fruit trees would bear no fruit. 

• Tired of swatting at those pesky flies and mosquitoes? Avoiding those smelly sprays and noisy bug-zappers? Well, leave it up to the birds! Their favorite meal may be a juicy fly or a crinkly mosquito! Birds dine on those nasty aphids and mites that can plague our plants. Woodpeckers, finches, chickadees, and (here’s an easy one) flycatchers eat oodles of insects every day; picking off a fly on the wing is a favorite pastime for a swallow. Barn swallows will eat over 1,000 insects per day! But they’re light eaters when compared to the Purple martins which eat 2,000 mosquitoes per day. No wonder folks put up those pretty apartment-birdhouses designed specifically for Purple martins! 

• Birds can also save you some work in the flowerbeds. Ground feeders, like finches, towhees, and sparrows eat the seeds of future weeds, eliminating or at least diminishing the number of weeds you’ll do battle with in your flowerbeds. 

• Finally, some of those more impressive raptors—hawks, owls, and kestrel—will help keep down the rodent population. These sharp-eyed hunters eat mice, voles, squirrels, and snakes. (Sorry about the squirrels.) A nesting pair of Barn owls eats over 3,000 rodents during their mating season. A hawk eats one or two large rodents each day. And for all of us struggling with voles beneath our lawns and in our gardens, hear this! Kestrels eat 4–8 voles each day, depending on the season! (They’re welcome to all the voles in my lawn.) Expand

How can I encourage the birds, butterflies, and bees to visit my garden?

There are only four essentials for making your garden, patio, or terrace a welcoming habitat for these visitors.

Food: You can, of course, set up bird feeders and buy bags of birdseed. This is a great way to draw birds in, so you can get a closer look at them. A few cautions, however: If you are successful, buying seed to keep your hungry guests well fed can get expensive. Also, if you begin supplying a feeder, you need to continue refilling it. The birds that visit will come to rely on your largesse. If your feeder goes empty for too long, your feathered friends might suffer. And, prepare for clean-up duty. The birds will be a bit cavalier in their exploring of your feeder, tossing seeds hither and yon. You’ll have to keep a broom and dust pan handy or your patio floor will look like the floor in a saloon that offers free peanuts—unshelled. Bees and butterflies need only flowers—trumpet vines, sunflowers, petunias, and roses. No clean-up necessary.

Water: A reliable water source will be a valued gift for your visitors. A few plastic flowerpot saucers will do—you’ll have to dump and refill them often. A birdbath is a charming, old-fashioned solution. They’re usually a bit larger and will hold enough water for a few days. Either choice must be shallow. The birds need to be able to stand on the rim or a rock in the birdbath. A major project that offers a lovely solution is adding a pond to your garden. A pond provides essential water for all the small creatures that share your neighborhood—birds, butterflies, foxes, raccoons, and rabbits. 

Shelter: Here’s the excuse for all of us who are lazy gardeners. Resist a too-tidy garden or flowerbed. Birds, bees, and butterflies need places to hide and shelter from predators and weather. You’ll provide essential shelter if you leave a few forsythia to run wild or create a small wood pile with those fallen branches you collect. There are plans on-line for clever insect apartment buildings you can create and install in your garden. 

Safety: Whether you’re figuring out where to hang the feeder or locate the birdbath, consider the safety of the birds as they rest. If there are cats and dogs in your household or neighborhood, you will need to consider height—how tall a base will be needed to keep the cat from jumping into the birdbath? If you hang the birdfeeder from a tree, how far out on a branch should you go to keep squirrels from easily jumping into the feeder? 

And, speaking of squirrels, as we gardeners face the unremitting struggle to keep squirrels out of our flowerpots, birdfeeders, and bulbs, let me offer a few suggestions for squirrel-repellants. 

Nature’s solution: Try planting some or all of the following flowers in your garden. Squirrels are repelled by: 

• Allium 
• Geraniums 
• Hyacinths
• Lilies of the Valley
• Snowdrops 

Kitchen concoctions: 

1. Hot stuff: Mix 1/3 cup of flour, 2 tablespoons of Cayenne pepper, and 2 tablespoons of powdered mustard. Sprinkle the powder around birdbaths and feeders. The birds won’t be bothered, but the squirrels may! 2. Wet stuff: Mix equal quantities of water and vinegar. Spray areas where you wish to repel the squirrels. You can also try adding peppermint oil or garlic. 

With over 400 species of birds sighted in Maryland, and almost 300 of them fairly common, what are we waiting for? Hold onto those quiet hours when you can sit and observe the world around you—feed the birds, watch the bees move delicately from flower to flower, catch your breath as a golden Monarch butterfly visits your purple asters. And when winter comes, you’ll still find a few old friends looking to you for seeds when snow and ice blanket the earth.

TAGS

August 2020

Summer is passing, if at a pace a bit slower than in years past. I, along with ordinary citizens, have been barred from my usual morning walk around the Naval Academy Yard due to the dangers of spreading COVID-19. And so, I have not been able to observe my old friends, Opal and Oscar Osprey, as they fritter away the summer months rearing their fledglings and preparing their new brood to join the September migration back to regions south – Florida, Central or South America.

Fortunately, for me, I have found another interesting and predictable walk through Annapolis, along the harbor, across the bridge over Spa Creek to Back Creek or the mouth of the Severn River – whether I choose to go straight or make a turn along the water.

Now that I’ve traversed these same sidewalks, around the same time of day, for 6 months, I have found new friends – both human and feathered. There are familiar faces who, like I, walked the Academy regularly and now wander Annapolis, like lost lambs. Also, there are new faces, people who find themselves with time for a walk in the morning – time that was once spent sitting in traffic on the way to work.

Since I walk the same route each morning, I’ve begun noticing the flora and fauna as the summer slips away. In March I observed and was observed by a flashy, young osprey. He perched each morning on one of the masts of the sailboats docked at the yacht club. He often called my attention to himself with his distinctive osprey chirps, not unlike a high-pitched sonar detector. I named him Alfonse.

Apparently, Alfonse’s mating song was persuasive, because before too long he was joined by a plump, young lovely – about half-again his size. I named her Abigail.

Rather than remain on the precarious masts, they took up residence on the other side of the bridge, in a lush copse of maples, poplars and sycamore. In that grove, there is a dead tree that rises above the rest, a perfect perch from which to watch the creek below.

As the summer wore on, I regularly saw one or the other, sometimes both Alfonse and Abigail perched handsomely above the greenery in the dead tree. Until one morning in July. As I started across the bridge I looked up for my friends. And, there, perched grandly on the very tree “owned” by Al and Abby, were two beautiful, big, blue herons. I named them Bluebell and Berry.

Yes, the grove and the creek below are claimed by two pairs of beautiful hunters. Since then, I have seen usually one or the other pair as I cross and recross the bridge. Recently, Abbie and Al Osprey seem to be introducing at least one young fledgling to the creek. Al and Ab fly across the creek in lazy circles, while a small, tentative osprey sits cautiously in the top of a tree – not, I might add, the favored perch of parent osprey and neighbor herons.

I can’t be sure if there is only one fledgling, or if I’m only seeing one-at-a-time. I’ll let you know. In the meantime, I’m watching to see if I can spot any youthful herons making their way along the shoreline. I often see Bluebell and Berry winging their way over the bridge and into the trees after what I hope was a successful fishing foray. They spend less time perching and more time stalking the creeks’ shorelines for breakfast.

And so it goes… I still get occasional sightings of Oscar and Opal across the harbor, perching on or near their nest. But, I can’t discern whether they’re rearing a new brood. I certainly hope so! I’ll let you know if further details become available.

HomeHome and GardenGarden

Minimalism in the Garden

BY JANICE F. BOOTH

JUN. 12, 2020

Minimalism has become a hallmark of contemporary architecture and interior design. Muted colors, simple lines, geometric shapes, clear vistas, and clean surfaces are characteristics of minimalism. Minimalists strive for an unembellished, even austere, beauty that encourages serenity and thoughtfulness. Author and lecturer on minimalism, Joshua Becker explains, “At its core, being a minimalist means intentionally promoting the things we most value and removing everything that distracts us from it.” Certainly, a timely approach to our hectic lives. 

This same focus, choose the best and ditch the rest, can be applied to gardening. If carving out more time for what matters most to us is important, perhaps we can simplify our landscape and its maintenance as we pare down other demands on our time. 

Let me propose a minimalist approach to the garden, based on plants that really do take care of themselves; namely shrubs, ornamental grasses, and trees. With a bit of planning, your landscaping may enhance your home’s appearance and require less of your time—only occasional pruning, fertilizing, and tidying. If that sounds like an inviting proposal to you, read on.

Simplicity is the key. Complement the lines of a modern house with a weeping cherry or elegant Lombardy poplar. A clump of Moon-grass or Raven-grass can subtly screen the meters and cables marring the exterior of even the most carefully designed house. No need to install a stockade fence to hide your neighbor’s camper and garage; instead, plant a hedge of Skyrocket Juniper; they’re tall, elegant, and fast growing. These are examples of the practical options available to the minimalist gardener. 

Let me offer you three reasons for landscaping with trees, shrubs, and ornamental grasses instead of the traditional garden’s profusion of flowers, herbs, and vegetables. 

Simple to plant

Decide where softening, screening, or shade is needed. I recommend consulting with a landscaper or experienced gardener as you create a placement plan. You’ll want to consider not only where you think the tree or shrub will be most attractive now, but also how the tree will fit in as it matures. Might the shrubs you’ve chosen grow and block a view? Or, will the roots eventually endanger the foundation of the house? 

Once you’ve devised a placement plan, holes must be dug deeper and wider than the root ball. Be sure the hole is well watered and appropriately fertilized, another reason to have the advice of a professional. Settle the sapling, bush, or grass mound into its new home and tamp down sufficient soil to fill in the hole. Mounding a bit is a good idea since settling will occur. Depending on the variety, you may need to water the new plant often until its roots begin to mature. Then, forget about it. 

Time saving, easy maintenance. If you’re landscaping with trees, shrubs, and ornamental grasses, there is only one task that MUST be done, and that is pruning. You may have to set aside a weekend in the fall or early spring, or make an arrangement with landscapers to tidy up the shape and size of your plants annually. For some shrubs, deep pruning is best and will give you lush, full new growth; others require only “haircuts” to keep them looking good. For ornamental grasses, annual, serious dividing of mounds will keep them elegant and properly sized for the location. Once a year, your trees may need an arborist’s trained eye to remove any weak branches or detect any infestations. (Note: The minimalist gardener spends no weekends weeding. She doesn’t rush home from work to check the sprinkler system. He doesn’t spend Saturday morning pouring over fertilizer formulas. No dead-heading for the minimalist.) 

Elegant design clarity. Concentrating your landscaping on a few, well-placed specimens fits in with the minimalist philosophy. “Almost all quality improvement comes via simplification of design, manufacturing, layout, processes, and procedures,” observes American author and efficiency expert Tom Peters.

Simplifying your home’s landscaping need not mean sacrificing color or variety, rather the minimalist landscape includes carefully chosen, well-placed specimens. They may be colorful and fragrant, spare and graceful. Here are some suggestions you may discuss with your landscaper or research for yourself:

Evergreens & Holly: In addition to the obvious advantage of lush foliage, year-round, evergreens and holly can be either trees or shrubs. Spruce and pine may spring to mind, but there are other beauties to consider.

Japanese Red Pine: Heat and drought tolerant, these pines grow tall and handsome with meandering limbs crowned with large needle clusters, distinctive from the traditional evergreen tree. They are dramatic and require no attention, not even pruning. 

Gardenias & Camellias: These beauties retain their glossy, dark green leaves all winter. They need some protection from harsh conditions, such as wind and strong sunlight, but if they are planted in a comfy setting, their beauty is unsurpassed. Add to the year-around glow, in springtime these shrubs provide fragrant, colorful blossoms. Grow these bushes in clusters. You can prune them as low shrubs or let them grow, possibly reaching three or four feet tall. 

Nandina (Heavenly Bamboo): The best of bamboo’s qualities with none of the disadvantages, Nandina is a deciduous shrub that displays beautifully all year long in our region. Clusters of slender stalks rise up to, perhaps, five or six feet, but can be kept pruned as low or mid-size bushes. While the clusters of slim leaves remain all winter, spring leaves are blush pink, turning to green. Late spring brings on Nandina’s tiny white flowers. And, as summer progresses, clusters of berries appear maturing from green to vivid red. Not only do these berries provide a striking contrast through the winter, they also provide food for birds and squirrels. Expand

Fragrant & Flowering Shrubs: If your garden plan is minimalist, then pleasing the senses with one or two well-placed shrubs fits your desire for maximizing joy in the simple pleasures. Here are a few exceptionally fragrant and/or colorful shrubs: (Note: grouping a few plants together helps avoid a woody, unkempt appearance.)

Boxwood: In our historic surroundings, you see lots of boxwood hedges and individual bushes. They’re distinctive for their rather bitter scent, but Colonial gardeners found the scent deters insects, so they often planted boxwood under windows and near outdoor seating areas. Their only drawback—they’re slow growers. Don’t expect a line of young boxwood striplings to fill in quickly. You’ll want to practice your Zen patience with them.

Korean Spice Viburnum: Here’s a showy darling that does put on quite a show throughout the growing season. You’ll see clusters of pink buds flowering in March and April. These flowers have a heady, spicy fragrance. In autumn their green leaves turn deep red. 

Abelia: Another easy-care beauty, the Abelia has white flowers shading to pink on dramatic, arching branches. The jasmine-like fragrance tempts hummingbirds and butterflies. And, if that’s not enough to persuade you to plant some, consider that the glossy, dark green leaves turn bronze in the fall. 

Ornamental Grasses: Finally, consider a few of the beautiful grasses that can accent a pond, hide an unsightly garden hose, and just lift your heart with their graceful motion on a summer’s day. Honestly, there are so many beautiful types that it’s hard to choose which to recommend. But, here goes: 1. Pink Muhly Grass: Also known as “Sweet Grass,” this beauty’s pink fronds, usually 12–15” tall, keep their shape and color through the winter. A mound of Muhly Grass is a consistent performer—modest, colorful, and lovely.  2. Maiden Grass: Tall and graceful, these silver plumes on dark green stems hold their own throughout the year, even adding drama to bleak winter gardens. And… (drumroll please), the deer won’t eat Maiden Grass. 3. Golden Hakone Grass: And if you need a low, shade-tolerant plant that provides some drama, Hakone Grass is for you. As its name indicates, the long, slim blades are golden edged in green, turning russet as cold weather sets in. This hardy, low grass settles in easily and stays where it’s planted, not requiring much pruning.

Consider what will serve your garden’s needs. Once you’ve chosen and planted your minimalist garden, you’ll know that you can set aside worries about garden maintenance. You can devote your spare time to reflection and recreation. 

https://openlinedotorg.wordpress.com

Home and Garden What’s Up? Magazine

Divine Decks & Perfect Patios

BY JANICE F. BOOTH

APR. 17, 2020

What if you could rub Aladdin’s lamp or wave a magic wand and your home would expand by one additional room? How would that room serve you? Would it be a space to get away from the demands of family and work, a place to nap and daydream? Visualize feet up, pillows, and comfy hammock or lounge chair. Would your new room be an entertainment area, a place where friends and family would gather to eat and talk? Would you enjoy hosting cocktails at sunset for a few friends and neighbors or firing up the grill for a summer barbecue? 

Where is this extra room, you ask? Imagine your deck or patio as a bonus room. April is the perfect time to examine your outdoor spaces and decide what you have available to you. 

Basics

Before getting too involved in the pleasures of choosing paint, pillows, furniture, and lighting, take a serious look at the structural integrity of your deck or patio. Is the deck fundamentally sound? Are the railings secure and safe? Do you need to add electrical fixtures, perhaps even some plumbing for a small sink? Is the area sufficient in size? Would your patio benefit from some extra pavers or perhaps a platform added for a small dining area?  If you’re unsure, call a professional. Safety is not to be ignored. Expand

Advantages & Limitations

Once your outdoor-room is deemed safe, take some time to think about how the area has been used in the past. Were you happy with the comfort level? Did the patio become a dumping ground for sports equipment and dirty shoes? You may have to plan for a storage area where that equipment can reside without taking over your outdoor living area. What about sun and shade? When is that patio in direct sun? Do mature trees shade the deck? Don’t forget about rain and wind. How will inclement weather affect your deck and its furnishings? 

Once you’ve refreshed your mental picture of that patio, let your imagination entertain ways you might enjoy your out-of-doors area even more. 

When we think about the advantages or limitations of a living space, it’s possible to turn a limitation into an advantage with just a little creative planning. 

Location: Does the sun beat down on your patio with its southern exposure? A perfect setting, perhaps for your relaxing spa. Imagine sunbathing in private behind a display of succulents and cacti, beneath a striped awning and decorative palms. 

Time: Only a month until you host that baby shower for 30 guests? May is a lovely month for showing off your garden’s azaleas, rhododendrons, tulips, and daffodils. With a quick coat of deck paint and some new furniture, you’ll have the perfect setting for your guests.

Budget: Can you budget for a few new pieces of all-weather furniture? Or, will it be wiser to buy some paint and freshen up the table and chairs you’ve had on the patio for years. Adding a few pillows and some new plants may be just the solution you’re looking for.

Size: It is possible that your deck, which runs the entire length of your house, may seem ungainly. Do people find it difficult to gather there? Like any large room, think about breaking up the space into areas devoted to activities; a table for cards or games in one area, a few comfy chairs and an ottoman clustered for reading or conversation, and a third area for outdoor cooking. 

The Big Picture

Okay, you’ve evaluated the safety and sturdiness of your deck or patio. You’ve thought about Nature’s impact on the area—sun, rain, wind, vegetation. As you begin your repurposing of that outdoor area, allow yourself to think again about that patio room as a space you will use more often if it meets your needs and expectations. 

When designing the layout of your deck consider the aerial view from upstairs windows or other upstairs decks. The use of pure form in your layout will provide an aesthetically pleasing geometry when viewed from above.

Go upstairs and look down at your deck. If there were four walls, how would you decorate that area? Imagine looking at your patio from your neighbors’ second-floor window. What will be seen? The question of privacy looms here. You may want to use awnings, curtains, shutter-screens, and plants to provide privacy if neighbors and casual strollers are too near. A clever and attractive awning can be constructed from painters’ drop cloths. You can add a design or leave them white. Drape the cloths over bamboo or curtain rods to shade all or part of the deck. Sheer curtains that flow with the breezes provide privacy and a diaphanous mood. You can buy ready-made stands in different lengths to hold your curtains, or install shower rods in some areas. Another option might be to purchase wooden screens, usually 3-part hinged, that can be set-up and taken down as needed. Tall Florida shutters hinged together add a tropical feel, and can be louvered open or closed for breezes and privacy. And don’t overlook some of your beautiful, potted plants. Bring them outside too. Let them bask in the sunshine. Clustered, they’ll make a natural screen to protect you from prying eyes. Like the screens, plants can be easily moved and repositioned as circumstances demand. And, in stormy weather, they can be taken in and safely stowed. 

Under Foot

Expand

So, looking down once again from our second story, we’ve established walls for privacy and definition. What about the floor? Those wooden deck planks, would they look better stained or painted? Maintenance is always an issue—the less, the better, I say! You want to enjoy your new room, not spend all your time keeping it looking fresh and tidy. So, choose a deck floor treatment that will be easy to have underfoot. If the deck is already finished or has a permanent treatment, you might have fun considering the addition of area rugs. Bold geometric designs? Or cool colors? Simple, old-fashioned, woven sisal area rugs are popular for a reason. You’ll probably want to avoid textured rugs. Dust, soil, and mud will eventually challenge your rugs, and cleaning them should be easy. 

Your patio may be stone or pavers. You may want to give them a good scrubbing. Mold can dull the patina of slate. You might want to have a small rug beneath the café table area or the comfy reading chair and ottoman to differentiate those areas. 

And, speaking of “under foot,” what about pets—yours or your neighbors? Will there be dogs and cats sharing this outdoor living space? If so, there are bound to be accidents. Be sure your floor treatment can handle a good scrubbing and that it doesn’t trap odors, as some material might.

Furnishings

Well, here we are. That dream-room is beginning to come together. Maybe it’s do-able! You can see the layout of the deck’s activity areas, or the patio’s theme. You’ve figured out the privacy issue, and now you’re looking at your budget. Will you want simple, clean lines? No clutter? Or, do you want lots of personal touches on the interesting tables you found at the consignment shop? Do you want to plan for some storage cabinets, perhaps old wooden or clean, plastic ones, to hold the sports equipment, jigsaw puzzles, and patio-designated dishes and glasses? Look for an interesting cabinet or stackable boxes that can keep everything reasonably clean and dry until they’re needed. 

Have fun locating the perfect table and sofa. Add some lanterns and throw pillows. Maybe there’s even room for a hammock and stand for that afternoon nap. This part is easy. The only cautions I would offer are (1) consider size. Don’t buy pieces that are too large for the space. And, (2) mind your budget. A few, well-designed and manufactured pieces will be wise investments. The pieces you use on your deck or patio will get hard use from people and from Nature. Choose material designed to take rain and wind, and an occasional good scrubbing. You don’t want to end up spending too much time on maintenance. 

A Final Tip: Beat the Bugs

One final tip for your new room. You may not want to screen in your patio or deck, but you also may not want to spend your outdoor time swatting mosquitoes and flies. Yes, I know, Citronella candles and torches work, sort of. But I may have a better solution for you. Pedestal fans! Place a pedestal fan, or two or three, near seating areas. When you’re outside, turn on the fans. The breeze they produce will be pleasing to humans and hazardous to bugs! Flies and mosquitoes will be whisked away! You’ll be free of those pesky intruders. (Now, unfortunately, I have no remedy for ants. They just go with summer, I’m afraid.)

It’s April! We can smell the earth awakening, see the buds forming, hear the birds singing, feel the sun warmer on our faces. Soon we’ll be sketching new designs for some of our flower beds, opening up those promising seed packets, and beginning the bustle of gardening. But for now, there’s still time to sit quietly and plan how to enhance that outdoor space you may have been overlooking—your deck or patio.