(PRWEB) February 28, 2015

Southview Design is gearing up for the long-awaited spring and summer by showcasing several of its winning designs for outdoor living rooms.

Outdoor rooms can be luxurious or low-key, elegant or casual, depending on the homeowners lifestyle and budget. Frequently an extension of the homes indoor spaces, outdoor rooms can be created with or without walls.

Southview Design uses both hard and soft landscape elements in its outdoor room designs to create a variety of spaces for living and dining, cooking and entertaining.

When designing outdoor spaces, the first consideration should be the style and architecture of the home, said Karen Filloon, a landscape designer with Southview Design. The outdoor space should be a natural extension of the home, whether its Craftsman or contemporary, Art Deco or Queen Anne, she said.

The latest trends in outdoor rooms now include fireplaces, fire pits, entertainment centers, kitchens and bars. We have moved far beyond the simple deck or back patio, Filloon said. She said outdoor kitchens have increased in popularity as more homeowners experience the joy of cooking in their own back yard.

Outdoor kitchens can range from a simple stand-alone grill to a complete kitchen with built-in grills and ovens, refrigerators and storage. Outdoor kitchens can be put on a back deck, making food preparation more convenient as the cook can easily move back and forth between indoor and outdoor spaces. Wood-fired ovens are also popular, and these can range from a simple portable oven to a permanent landscape feature.

The most elegant outdoor living rooms are equipped with several luxurious features vaulted, beamed ceilings, ceiling fans, lighting, sound systems, and TVs. Pergolas are popular, as they protect the outdoor living and dining rooms from the hot summer sun while creating a feeling of intimacy.

Due to the increasing demand for outdoor rooms, companies making furniture, carpeting, drapery, lighting and appliances have created new products that dry quickly, resist mold and mildew and can withstand even the harshest Minnesota weather.

For photos of several different types and styles of outdoor living rooms, visit: http://southviewdesign.com/newsroom/story-ideas/low-key-to-luxury.html

See more here:
Southview Design Creates Winning Outdoor Living Rooms

Lincoln Pius X's Olivia Appleget and Caroline Theil have been high school teammates for about four months.

In that time, they have developed into better friends and practice partners.

"To be on the same team is a whole other world,"Appleget said."We get to push each other in practice and we get to know each other's personalities. When the other one is fading, we're always pushing each other to the limits and making sure we're staying positive."

Both swimmers are looking to make an impact this weekend at the state high school swimming and diving meet.

Appleget finished sixth in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 butterfly in her first state appearance in 2014. She'll be swimming those events again this weekend.

"Mentally preparing for state is a huge aspect of it," the junior said."You have to know what it's going to feel like when you get there. It's so different from any other meet we do throughout the season."

Theil, a freshman who has been recording impressive times all season, will swim the 100 and 200 freestyles.

"You can just tell the two have become much better friends in the water as opposed to being on two different clubs," Pius X coach Mike Witt said."They're pushing each other in a good way."

Tate twins lead Creighton Prep

Sean and Ryan Tate are twins, and two of the best swimmers in the state.

The rest is here:
State swimming: Dynamic duos dot the state landscape

When Carlson set the wheels in motion to create the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee in the late 1990s, there wasnt a single conservation easement along the banks of the Little Tennessee River in Macon County. Today, 34 miles of river frontage are permanently protected, and thousands of acres of farms and forests have been conserved, thanks to his vision.

Carlson was at the forefront of a revolution in conservation circles. He introduced the region to a new paradigm, one where humans could co-exist alongside conservation, where the landscape supported cultural heritage and vice versa.

A lot of land trusts dont mess with the cultural side. But from day one, our mission was to conserve the waters, forests, farms and heritage of the Little Tennessee watershed, Carlson said. Whats fun is that conservation story has fallen into place.

He molded public perception like he did the landscape incrementally yet steadily, subtly not brazenly.

Eventually, a movement was born. It was so measured, many didnt realize a movement was afoot, one that would forever alter how people viewed the landscape, both emotionally and economically.

From the outside, it may all seem like a big coincidence.

LTLT was saving a piece of land here, a piece of land there picking up the scattered chips of an increasingly fragmented landscape, merely answering the door when opportunity knocked.

But eventually, the tracts were no longer lone life rafts, but a cohesive flotilla.

It is very satisfying to see a vision coming together with some consistency, Carlson said. This is one place you can make a stand. There was a defined constituency for the river. It is place-based conservation.

Carlson is quick to deflect any accolades, and instead credits the deep bench of supporters who lent their voice to the cause over the years, and ultimately the landowners who have signed on to the movement.

The rest is here:
Changing attitudes Carlson reshaped ideas about conservation

More than three years after a pitched civic battle over the future of the Old Town Alexandria waterfront, the vision of a new front yard for this historic city is beginning to take shape.

The City Council last year adopted a $120million landscape design and project plan created by Olin Studios. But it may be years before residents and tourists see the lush parks and fountains in operation; Alexandrias plan is to focus on infrastructure and development first.

Residents told city officials over the winter that they wanted a solution to the notoriously flood-prone streets adjacent to the Potomac. The council will determine March3 what funding to allocate to flood mitigation. Storm-sewer work is underway, and planning officials are studying how to raise the grade of streets on the southern end of the waterfront area and build the bulkheads necessary for a waterfront walkway.

We have to get funding in place, we have to get the design done and we have permitting processes to complete, all of which could take three years, said Emily Baker, Alexandrias acting deputy city manager.

Meanwhile, the development plans of private parties who own several large pieces of land along the waterfront are working their way through the permitting process.

First to build probably will be the Old Dominion Boat Club, which last year accepted a $5million buyout offer from the city for its clubhouse and parking lot at the foot of King Street.

The boat club will move a few hundred feet south, to the site of the vacant Beachcombers building, which it will raze and rebuild as a three-story, 12,000-square-foot club with a roof deck and boat launch.

The old clubhouse will be demolished and will form part of a city park, dubbed Fitzgerald Square. The boat clubs architect told the citys waterfront commission last week that he hopes the facility will open in 18 months.

Designed to incorporate maritime touches such as outdoor stairways, the clubhouse probably will be built before the city creates the waterfront promenade, a walkway intended to connect the entire area. A fenced parking lot will be directly south of the clubhouse, and a temporary boat ramp will be used until the promenade is built and a permanent ramp is installed.

Five blocks north, the retail-residential-hotel project at 500 N. Union St. could be under construction by late 2016. It is on the site of the old Robinson Terminal North. City Interests LLC bought the property from The Washington Post Co. in late 2013.

Originally posted here:
Redevelopment of Alexandria waterfront progresses

From blueberries and birdhouses tostraw bale gardening, you'll find a wide variety of topics 27 in all at the "Art of Gardening in Muscatine County" seminar March 14.

The day begins with registration from 8 to 8:30 a.m., followed by a welcome. Beginning at 9 a.m., participants will be able to select a topic from each of four sessions. The lunch break will include a "stump the experts" panel in which participants can ask questions.

The morning also will include a bake sale by the Wapsi 4-H Club.

Here is the schedule:

Session 1, 9-10 a.m.

A. Hydrangeas. (See today's main story.)

B. Starting Transplants at Home. Zora Ronan, Linn County (Iowa) Master Gardener. Successful startswith a minimum amount of equipment.

C. Fabulous Foliage. Nicole Hoben, Barnyard Blooms, Grandview, Iowa. Using annuals, perennials and shrubs with striking foliage.

D. Habitat for Pollinators. Mary Delaney, ION Exchange, Harper's Ferry, Iowa. Native plants thatprovide habitat fordeclining pollinator populations.

E. Sow Seeds to Inspire, Perspire, and Not Expire. Caleen Pagel, physical therapist, Muscatine. Exercises designed to stretch, strengthen and stabilize muscles and joints so gardening won't be so painful. Interactive session.

Follow this link:
Foliage, birds, conifers are seminar topics

More than three years after a pitched civic battle over the future of the Old Town Alexandria waterfront, the vision of a new front yard for this historic city is beginning to take shape.

The City Council last year adopted a $120million landscape design and project plan created by Olin Studios. But it may be years before residents and tourists see the lush parks and fountains in operation; Alexandrias plan is to focus on infrastructure and development first.

Residents told city officials over the winter that they wanted a solution to the notoriously flood-prone streets adjacent to the Potomac. The council will determine March3 what funding to allocate to flood mitigation. Storm-sewer work is underway, and planning officials are studying how to raise the grade of streets on the southern end of the waterfront area and build the bulkheads necessary for a waterfront walkway.

We have to get funding in place, we have to get the design done and we have permitting processes to complete, all of which could take three years, said Emily Baker, Alexandrias acting deputy city manager.

Meanwhile, the development plans of private parties who own several large pieces of land along the waterfront are working their way through the permitting process.

First to build probably will be the Old Dominion Boat Club, which last year accepted a $5million buyout offer from the city for its clubhouse and parking lot at the foot of King Street.

The boat club will move a few hundred feet south, to the site of the vacant Beachcombers building, which it will raze and rebuild as a three-story, 12,000-square-foot club with a roof deck and boat launch.

The old clubhouse will be demolished and will form part of a city park, dubbed Fitzgerald Square. The boat clubs architect told the citys waterfront commission last week that he hopes the facility will open in 18 months.

Designed to incorporate maritime touches such as outdoor stairways, the clubhouse probably will be built before the city creates the waterfront promenade, a walkway intended to connect the entire area. A fenced parking lot will be directly south of the clubhouse, and a temporary boat ramp will be used until the promenade is built and a permanent ramp is installed.

Five blocks north, the retail-residential-hotel project at 500 N. Union St. could be under construction by late 2016. It is on the site of the old Robinson Terminal North. City Interests LLC bought the property from The Washington Post Co. in late 2013.

See the article here:
Redevelopment of Alexandria waterfront is slowly moving forward

FIRST COAST Sierra Club Northeast Group hosts master gardener

Lassie Lee, master gardener, will be the guest speaker at the Sierra Club Northeast Group meeting 7 p.m. Monday, March 9, at Lakewood Presbyterian Church, 2001 University Boulevard West. For more, (904) 247-1876.

ORANGE PARK Lillian Kiernan Brown Womans History Month speaker

Recognizing Womens History Month in March, The Orange Park Womans Club presents Lillian Kiernan Brown, author of Banned in Boston: Memoirs of a Stripper, as guest speaker 11 a.m. Thursday, March 5th, at the Womans Club, 130 Kingsley Avenue. The meeting will be followed by lunch. For more, (904) 215-3730.

CLAY Kitten foster parent training

Clay County Animal Care and Control will hold a kitten foster parent training session 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, at its Fleming Island center, 1809-4 Town Center Blvd, Fleming Island. This session will help prepare interested foster parents for kitten season in the summer, when the center receives an increase of kittens to shelter for adoption.

ERNANDINA BEACH Florida Forest Service summer opportunity for teacher held in June

The Florida Forestry Teachers Tour will bring 45 teachers from across the state to Fernandina Beach on June 23-26 to learn how forestry works in Florida. Participating teachers will experience the planting and growing processes as well as the mills and learn about environmental issues and how foresters work to meet Floridas needs and the environment. Applications are accepted through March 9. To submit an application, visit floridastateforests.org/teacherstour.

NASSAU Council on Aging welcomes two new board of directors members

Rick Keffer, local automobile dealer, and Barry Holloway, former Nassau County commissioner, are the Nassau County Council on Agings two new members of its board of directors. Both were inducted and began their tenature at the annual meeting in January.

Original post:
Around the Region: Make a Bluebird house with Nassau County Extension Office and more

With bitter temperatures and a snowy landscape, February may feel a bit early to start planning your spring garden.

Not so, says Chuck Martin, horticulturalist at Dow Gardens. For 15 years, Martin has helped organize the annual Dow Gardens Know & Grow Seminar, an informational seminar for gardening enthusiasts and plant lovers alike.

We usually do this event in February, though a lot of others (botanical gardens) wait until late winter, Martin said. We hold the event in February to get people really excited about gardening.

The Know and Grow Seminar takes place this Saturday, Feb. 21, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Bullock Creek High School Auditorium, 1420 S. Badour. A $75 ticket will grant you access to listen to nationally known speakers on a variety of garden topics. The Midland Master Gardeners will also be on site, hosting a marketplace with items for sale from vendors across Michigan. Lunch is included.

This years event features a breadth of topics covered by well-known professionals in the horticulture world.

Roy Diblik, author of the book The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden, will speak on the topic, Creating Your Perennial Plant Community: The Know Maintenance Approach. A noted plantsman and designer, Diblik has spent more than 30 years cultivating a career focused on plants, designing such well-known gardens as the Lurie Garden at Millennium Park in Chicago.

(Seminars like Know & Grow) are like a pep rally, Diblik said. Its helpful to have these discussions and get everyone emotionally charged up in the mid or late winter because everyone is dreaming about that first 45 or 60 degree day when you can smell green. Its good to have these discussions so people get motivated and theres that thought process and inspiration for your garden.

Best-selling and award-winning author Niki Jabbour will give a presentation titled Year Round Vegetable Gardening. Jabbour will discuss maintaining a year-round vegetable garden and methods of extending your harvest season. Vegetable gardening year-round is a gardening trend gaining popularity, Martin said

Jabbour, who wrote The Year Round Vegetable Gardener, hosts her own radio show and currently writes for such publications as Fine Gardening, Garden Making, Birds and Blooms, The Heirloom Gardener, and Horticulture. She said her passion for gardening dates back to her childhood.

When I was a child, we had a family veggie garden, but it was strictly a May to September garden, Jabbour said. It was, however, enough to pique my interest and by the time I was a teenager, I had taken over the plot and never looked back.

Go here to see the original:
Dow Gardens presents Know & Grow Seminar

MAHOMET Village trustees got an update this week on when a landscape waste drop-off site might be available to Mahomet residents.

With two-year contracts about to expire, trustees voted to advertise for bids for the leaf and limb pickup programs.

Both contracts were awarded to Mahomet Landscapes two years ago and expire in April.

Leaf disposal costs the village about $6,000 per year. The contract for limb and yard waste pickup, with its labor and equipment costs, is pricier the previous contract was not to exceed $11,875 for each of six yearly collections.

But officials say those costs are likely to go up, as more residents opt to leave their brush on the curb for pickup. More participants mean more work hours and more material to process.

"The good news is that more people are using the program," Public Works Director Gary LaForge said. "The bad news is that it's costing more."

Village Administrator Patrick Brown said each collection could reach $13,000, as well as budgeting for an additional special collection in case of a strong storm.

LaForge and Brown presented several options for the next two-year contract, but the one that trustees opted to approve was for five scheduled pickups, plus additional funding for the proposed drop-off site at the new public works facility on Lake of the Woods Road.

LaForge said the drop-off could be available by April, depending on how soon gates can be installed at the site.

Public Works staff plan to make the manned drop-off available at scheduled times each month, possibly a Saturday morning.

Link:
Mahomet board updated on landscape waste disposal, recycling

Provided by Networx.com

Light up your landscape ... and your life. Add lighting to your outdoor space for all the very best reasons -- beauty, safety, and increased property value. Find out all about the "whys" and "whats" of lovely landscape lighting.

Why

Safety. The No 1 reason to install landscape lighting is for safety's sake. You and your family, and especially guests who are not familiar with the layout of your yard, will be gently guided as to the location of pathways, steps, and abrupt slopes. Specialized lighting for your pool and its surround will enable you to swim more safely at night (just make sure any lights which come into contact with water conform to the localsafety code).

Security. Shedding light on dim areas around your home's perimeter will discourage loiterers and burglars, who prefer to work in the dark.

Beauty and fun. There's nothing like the charm of a gorgeous garden or an attractive outdoor seating and activity area ... except when it's made even more appealing by a well-planned lighting installation.

Usability. Outdoor living is the best, no matter how short or how long your local warm-weather season may be. Use landscape lighting to extend the hours you can spend enjoying your yard, garden, patio, pool, and/or outdoor room.

Highlighting. Accent lighting can be designed to show off an exceptionally lovely flowerbed, water feature, or piece of statuary.

Convenience. Task lighting makes food prep in your outdoor kitchen or grilling area a lot simpler and pleasanter. It may also encourage would-be chef's assistants to join you.

Property value. Although having a landscape contractor install lighting is a relatively inexpensive home improvement, you'll reap a generous return on your investment: more enjoyment and utility from your property, a distinctive new look and increased curb appeal.

Here is the original post:
Landscape lighting for beauty, safety and value