Press Release -- Your landscape is there to be enjoyed by you and your family. Its the setting for your home and provides a space for outdoor activities. Lawn areas offer a wonderful place for kids to play, and family get-togethers and parties take place on decks and patios. If your family includes pets, your landscape will likely be used by them as well.

In some ways, having pets in your landscape is like having young children. Although pets are less likely than a young child to get hurt in a landscape, you must still take some similar precautions, such as watching out for poisonous plants. Pets can also cause problems in the landscape, but pet owners who love their pets generally manage to tolerate or forgive minor indiscretions.

Pets still raise two major issues keeping your landscape from harming your pet and keeping your pet from harming your landscape.

Hazards

All of us likely grow plants in our landscapes that could be toxic to dogs or cats. The good news is, despite the abundance and ready availability of these plants to pets, incidents of plant poisoning are not especially common. In the number of poisoned pet contacts reported to the ASPCA, plants ranked after human medications, insecticides (particularly those applied to dogs and cats for flea control) and people food (like chocolate). Rat poison, veterinarian medications and poisonous plants all had similar numbers of calls. The plants involved were mostly indoor plants, not outside. The ASPCA website has an excellent list of plants poisonous to cats and dogs.

Azaleas, for instance, can be fatally toxic to dogs and people, too. As they bloom this spring, look around at how many azaleas are in peoples landscapes. Obviously, dogs dont typically eat azaleas and get poisoned by them. I was made aware of an incident involving a puppy left alone inside a house all day with a potted azalea that resulted in the puppys death.

There is one plant, however, that dog owners should be very aware of. The cycad we call sago palm (Cycas revoluta) is not actually related to palms. It is a gymnosperm related to conifers like pine trees and bald cypresses. As such, the reproductive structures are cones.

Sagos come in male and female, and the females present the more dangerous situation. The females form large, dome-shaped cones on top of the plant during summer. The seeds mature in January and February and drop to the ground sometime thereafter. The seeds are covered with a fleshy red coating that dogs must find tasty, because they will eat them.

Although all parts of the sago are toxic, the seeds are highly toxic to dogs, and Ive heard of numerous fatalities over the years. Seeds from female sagos should be gathered up and disposed of as soon as you see them in late winter or early spring.

Learn which plants are especially toxic to animals lilies, for instance, are highly toxic to cats and avoid planting them in your landscape. But Im not sure how far I would go to radically change an existing landscape like rip out all of the azaleas to eliminate all potentially toxic plants.

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How to Ensure You Practice Pet Friendly Gardening

Terraced pool and tropical softscape form one of the entertainment areas created for a home in Santaluz.

A landscape renovation project can be overwhelming, even just thinking about the concept of what stays and what goes. There are many factors to consider in the early stages of a conceptual drawing for a renovated backyard or front yard.

The residential project featured here, in the Santaluz development east of Rancho Santa Fe, had great bones to work with existing established trees, for example which just needed fine-tuning. The homeowners, with our guidance, decided what was feasible to keep and what had to go.

The front yard was stripped, except for an amazing Canary palm, which we designed around. The homeowners wanted a formal theme, which was created with plant materials such as various hedging shrubs, boxwood shrubs and varieties of ornamental grasses and roses with just enough turf to round it all out.

The entry concrete was finished with Topcast etching and accented with Quartzite flagstone. Accent Unique LED lighting was used throughout the project.

The backyard was designed with a tropical theme, since existing large vegetation (birds of paradise and Phoenix Roebellinis) were scattered throughout. We created several entertainment areas, such as a covered patio structure with heat lamps and a chandelier, an elegant barbecue structure with a stacked-stone backsplash and a trellis accent feature, which dressed up an existing fire pit. Decking concrete used to create this hardscape also was finished with Topcast etching and Quartzite bands throughout.

A patio structure with stacked quartzite columns invites family and guests to sit back and relax.

The plants that were added were a creative mix of varietal flaxes, Leucadendron, Arbutus compacta (strawberry bush), Kalanchoe (flapjacks) Cycas revoluta (Sago palms), Cocos Plumosa (queen palms), ginger, hibiscus and agaves, just to name a few.

The homeowners newly renovated landscape has enabled them to extend their indoor entertaining to the outdoors and enjoy being on a vacation in their yard.

Local interior designers, architects, contractors and decorators are invited to showcase a recent residential project in this space. Contact Home + Garden editor Chris Ross,

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Backyard gets tropical makeover

By Holly Mahaffey hmahaffey@michigannewspapers.com

A pair of Eastern Bluebirds in Michigan, courtesy Wikipedia

Learn the benefits of native plants in the landscape from naturalist/Stewardship Coordinator Gary Siegrist of The Dahlem Conservancy.

At least 5,000 alien plant species have been introduced to the United States, either intentionally or by accident. Learn why it's important to incorporate native alternatives into our yards and landscapes.

Siegrist wil discuss how to design a garden to attract a variety of birds. The free event is set 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 14. Pre-registration is recommended by calling 734-475-3539.

Upcoming events in the series include:

March 21 Composting Made Easy: Rick Weller, owner and founder of Organically Done, a Michigan-based manufacturer of organic plant products will discuss composting and why it is one of the most environmentally friendly tasks that we can perform around the house. Many homeowners are daunted by the prospect of becoming a composter but we'll make it simple. Topics we'll cover include the science of composting, composting do's and don'ts, simple composter designs and compost troubleshooting among others.

March 28 A Weed by Any Other Name: Some plants we often consider weeds are actually flowers theyre just growing in places we dont want them, like our lawns. That makes them the very definition of a weed, since horticulturalists define a weed as a plant out of place. Join us at The Garden Mill when owner Jennifer Fairfield discusses many common weeds, how to identify them, and strategies to keep them from taking over your yard and gardens.

Learn the benefits of native plants in the landscape from naturalist/Stewardship Coordinator Gary Siegrist of The Dahlem Conservancy.

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The Garden Mill hosts 'Birdscaping Your Yard' event

By Rebecca Mordini for the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden | Published on 03.10.2015 12:53 p.m.

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden's annual Spring Native Plant Sale starts Saturday, April 4 and runs through Sunday, May 3, every day from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Garden Growers Nursery at the Botanic Garden always has a good selection of native plants, but during the Spring Native Plant Sale, more than 6,000 plants and 500 varieties are available. Whether you are interested in beautiful flowers, attracting butterflies or converting to a drought tolerant landscape, you will find just what you need.

With so many native plants in spectacular bloom, this is the perfect season to fill your landscape with color, said Robert Adams, local landscape architect and past president of Santa Barbara Beautiful. Native plantings can be utilized to create a natural look to the garden, and can even be shaped to create a unique style that can embrace the dry conditions that we have been experiencing."

Expert advice: Avoid costly mistakes in your plant choices by attending one of the Saturday Garden Planning with the Experts workshops from 9:30 to noon April 11, 18 and 25. Participants will tour the garden with native plant experts to identify mature plants that fit their specific landscape needs. Garden experts will help you consider soil, light and water requirements in choosing the right plants for your own garden.

Monarch butterflies: If you want to see monarchs in the summer, you need to plant your milkweed now, said Frederique Lavoipierre, education program manager at the garden. You will see monarch butterflies nectaring on a variety of plants, but they only lay their eggs on milkweed. The caterpillar lives on milkweed until it forms its jewel-like jade and gold chrysalis, and finally emerges as a butterfly. Without milkweed there are no monarchs! You can enjoy this miracle in your own backyard by planting just a couple of native milkweed plants.

Learn more about the garden's Milkweed to Monarchs program by clicking here.

For your vegetable garden: Monarchs are not the only insects that thrive on native plants. If you have a vegetable garden, look for plants that attract insect allies to keep your garden pest-free. Serious gardeners will want to attend Garden Allies: Landscape Design for Pesticide-free Gardening on March 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This detailed hands-on workshop will help you choose native plants that attract the right kind of insect to your garden to keep it pest free. Your vegetable garden and your other flowers will benefit from plants that attract a variety of butterflies, bees and other pollinators that will help your garden's yields.

Water wise: With another dry year predicted, this is also a good time to look at creating a landscape that uses less water and more native plants. Santa Barbara Water Wise offers a rebate program to make this cost effective and the Garden Growers Nursery has all the plants you will need, whether it is native grasses or beautiful perennials. Click here for more information.

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden members get an extra day to shop, on Friday, April 3. The usual member discount is increased to 15 percent for one day only. Shop early, as the rare and hard-to-find species will go fast. As always, garden staff and volunteers are available to provide expert planting advice free of charge.

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Spring for Native Color in Your Yard at Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens Plant Sale

The ever-changing landscape of the NFL continued late this week. The Atlanta Falcons announced the release of running back Steven Jackson, via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, on Thursday, and the Arizona Cardinals parted ways with defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com, on Friday.

These are just two examples of moves that will ultimately help shape the 2015 NFL draft.

Will teams draft replacements for these players this year? That's a strong possibility; however, it may not be in the first round. There are plenty of factors that must come into play to make that situation come to fruitionschematic fits and prospect availability among them.

Let's take the Falcons for instance. They pick at No. 8 overall. Sure, they could snag Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon or Georgia's Todd Gurleybut would that be worth missing out on one of the draft's elite pass-rushers? Probably not. So, in this situation, we can expect Atlanta to look for a running back in the draft's middle roundswhere potential steals reside.

Which prospects appear to be the mid-round gems in this year's draft class? Before we take a look at some examples, here's an updated glance at how the first round is likely to shake out.

Analyzing Potential Mid-Round Steals

Mid-round steals can be a variety of things. These prospects could have sneaky starting potential and produce some impressive numbers out of the gate during their rookie seasons. They could also be athletic freaks who have the talent to dominate in the NFL after receiving the right coaching.

Every draft is chock-full of players who fit one of those aforementioned descriptions. The trick for NFL franchises is to figure out who they are. That said, let's take a look at some potential candidates.

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NFL Draft 2015: 1st-Round Mock Draft and Top Potential Mid-Round Steals

Are you one of those highly visual people who can look at a design sketch and know what the space could look and feel like in real life? Or, are you like most of us, who can study a drawing and think it looks nice, but we can't virtually walk ourselves through it to know if it would work for us?

We wonder: Is there really enough room under the pavilion for a complete outdoor kitchen and a large patio table? Will those trees cast shade on my meditation garden? How dramatic would that fire pit look at night?

Fortunately for those of us who can't tell if a squiggle on a conceptual plan is a screen or a stream, we can look at real landscapes -- and their drawings -- during the Yard, Garden & Patio Show, Feb. 27 to March 1, at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.

For the show, local landscape pros came up with well-imagined plans based on their experience and knowledge of plants and garden trends that are suitable for the Pacific Northwest. Then, they executed their ideas and will stand by their creations. They will explain their choices and answer your questions about garden design challenges, from elevation and pathways, to creating a greater sense of well-being and privacy.

Yards are not as big as in days past, states the team at Design Resource Group (DRG) Landscaping, so there is a greater need for an outdoor family room that houses multiple activities and experiences for parents, children and guests.

Here are highlights from the Showcase Gardens displayed at the Yard, Garden & Patio Show:

Eat, Play, Glove byDennis' 7 Dees Landscaping & Garden Centers is a multifunctional space for family and friends. There is edible landscape alongside the table in the elegant open-air dining area. A playhouse and outdoor living room allows kids and adults to enjoy the outdoors. And a small, low-maintenance garden takes just a little time with a pair of gloves, pruners and a trowel to keep it in shape.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry by Showscapes Landscaping revisits mom's good advice to "go play outside" and creates an interactive outdoor living area for people of all ages to make a meal, play Bocce Ball, pick blueberries and relax around a fire pit.

Modern Simplicity byWestern Interlock is a contemporary garden design with a relaxing spa oasis, hot tub, outdoor kitchen, shower, fireplace and more.

Your Own Northwest Paradise byNorthwest Outdoor Living and Landscapes is a series of outdoor rooms that will keep you from wanting to go back inside the house.

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Landscape sketches come alive at the Yard, Garden & Patio Show

After Mike Moran's landscapers mow and trim, they finish with the meticulous and uncommon touch of vacuuming a yard to leave it "perfect for a picture."

The arrival of daylight saving time Sunday steps up lawn-watering limits in nearly all of Central Florida from once to twice a week, marking the return of the growing season for lawns and prime time for pollution.

Grass cuttings, fallen oak leaves and other yard waste are packets of natural fertilizer that turn rivers and lakes into algae soup.

"There's no controversy over that," said Cris Costello, Sierra Club organizer in Florida. "Nobody disputes that it's a big problem but that it's easy to fix."

Fixing the problem means preventing clippings from migrating down gutters into local waters. That's easy relative to solving other pollution, including leaky septic tanks. But it's still a challenge, with contrasting opinions over solutions.

As owner of Royal Palm Landscape in Orlando, Moran seems more willing to experiment than the typical landscaper. For example, he is attempting to fuel a work truck with grass clippings and tree scraps.

Moran has used vacuums for years at modest homes, Winter Park mansions and luxury-auto dealers. He empties their bags at a landfill-compost site during regular trips to also dispose of tree and shrub trimmings.

He said the machines speed work, leave a home ready for a magazine feature, and "it's the right thing to do" environmentally.

If vacuuming seems like a win for the property owner and for the environment, not all in the landscape profession are impressed.

"It's flat-out nasty the dust, dirt," said Tom Burish, director of Florida Landscape Management Association, referring to emptying vacuum bags.

Excerpt from:
Vacuum, bag or blow before yard pollutes water

Photo by: Sandra Mason

Garden walks offer an abundance of landscaping ideas.

Every time I look out the window, I dream of green and then gorge myself on tantalizing images of flowers and fruits in magazines and catalogs. Glorious gardens immersed in the picture-perfect light of dawn shine in garden magazines.

Of course, out of frame is the butterfly bush that was crushed by the basketball as the kids were playing one-on-one.

Cropped and coiffured images are pleasant dreams but hardly the reality of gardening. Maybe it's time for an adjusted aesthetic in our quest for garden perfection.

Our life coaches may come to us in the shape of a dog. One of my gardening acquaintances was blessed with a big Lab named Opie.

On hot summer days, Opie loved to dig in her garden and plop his big beefy body in the cool, moist soil.

She tried putting a big rock in Opie's digging spot. Undaunted, Opie just found another spot to dig. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep Opie from digging a summer loafing spot.

She finally decided to recognize Opie's landscaping aesthetic. She painted a beautifully adorned sign that heralded Opie's contribution. Rather than explain to every garden visitor why she had a big hole in her garden, the "Opie's Garden" sign was now a source of lighthearted banter about the joys of gardening. Instead of constantly fighting for perfection, she and Opie created a blissful alternative with her adjusted aesthetic.

First of all, learn to love your yard, even those quirky shady areas, wet spots and areas where the tree roots stick out. Certainly some changes can be made short of a bulldozer, but resolve now to quit fighting what is there. Work with what you have. Remember, in this ball game, Mother Nature bats last.

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Sandra Mason: Learn to love your landscape

The home of Tony and Jone James of 1348 Earl Court in Conyers has been selected for the February Landscape of the Month Award by the Conyers Garden Club. The yard is highlighted by neatly pruned boxwoods, Burfordi hollies and nandinas placed in the yard with a beautifully maintained centipede/St. Augustine lawn. The yard is also highlighted with crepe myrtles, azaleas and a Kwanzan cherry tree. (Special Photo)

The home of Tony and Jone James of 1348 Earl Court in Conyers has been selected for the February Landscape of the Month Award by the Conyers Garden Club. The yard is highlighted by neatly pruned boxwoods, Burfordi hollies, and nandinas placed in the yard with a beautifully maintained centipede/St. Augustine lawn. The yard is also highlighted with crepe myrtles, azaleas and a Kwanzan cherry tree. (Special Photo)

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SCRAPBOOK: Garden Club awards yard of the month for February

Published: Friday, March 6, 2015 at 1:05 p.m. Last Modified: Friday, March 6, 2015 at 1:05 p.m.

She paused a moment to survey the bare room that once was a kitchen, and would be again. She smiled. "Oh, yeah, it'll be worth it, too." Because by the end of the year, barring any unforeseen hurdles, this two-bedroom, two-bath on a quiet cul-de-sac in Silver Springs Shores will be hers.

Lofton and her son, Gregory, are among a current batch of Habitat for Humanity clients logging "sweat equity" to qualify for a new or, as here, like-new home. And they can finally leave the wood-frame house with collapsing floors, mold, leaking roof and no heat or air conditioning on Ocala's west side.

"Sure, it's a lot of work," said Gregory, 21. "But it'll pay off in the end. To not put your foot down and have it go through the floor "

The Loftons' new home stems from a partnership forged nationally between banks, with their daunting inventory of abandoned and foreclosed houses from the Great Recession, and Habitat for Humanity, with its legion of lower-income clients who'd like nothing more than to move into one of them.

The banks donate the properties to Habitat, which refurbishes them to like-new through the work of volunteers and prospective new homeowners.

"It's win, win, win," said Brad Nimmo, president and CEO of Marion County Habitat for Humanity. The property is off the bank's books; a neighborhood eyesore is restored to respectability; and someone needing to get out of ramshackle housing gets a new home.

Habitat has been around for many years. The local Habitat has converted nine donated homes since 2013, with three more in the works.

Habitat continues to build houses from the ground up. In fact, proceeds from Saturday's second annual Strawberry Festival will help finish Habitat's first ground-up house in Belleview, and maybe build a second one there, too.

But for now, there's a strong focus on the makeovers, donated by Bank of America, Chase and Wells Fargo, Nimmo said.

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Renovated Habitat for Humanity focuses on refurbishing homes