As I look at many lawn and landscape problems in the summer, it occurs to me that many of these are the result of poor plant selection and poor planting techniques. Although now is not a great time to be planting, it is a great time to review the proper steps to avoid plant stress and later problems.

To plant right it is important to know the conditions in your yard and how you use that information. Identify the areas with sun and shade. Take soil tests to determine soil pH.

Test soil drainage by digging a hole 18 to 24 inches deep. Fill the hole with water and let it sit overnight. Refill hole to within a few inches of the top. Use a ruler or measuring stick to determine the drainage over time. If soil drains less than one-half inch per hour it is poorly drained. Choose plants tolerant of wet conditions. If the water drops between one-half inch and 1 inch per hour, the soil is moderately drained and most plants including some tolerant of wet conditions will do well. If the water drops more than 1 inch per hour drainage is great and most plants can be used except for those suited for wet conditions.

If you have an existing landscape, determine if there are problems with any plants. Take a look at the lawn. This is usually the highest maintenance area of a landscape. Determine how much lawn you really need. Locate areas for privacy, play and work.

Next choose the right plants for the right place. Grasses grow best in full sun. Choose drought-tolerant plants if soils are moderately to well drained. Think about how plants will look once they grow to mature size not how they look when planted and give them the appropriate space.

Avoid plants that have problems if you are looking for a successful long-lived landscape. Bradford pears may split in 10 to 15 years due to their growth habit. Japanese hollies and boxwoods dont do well in poorly drained soil. Red maples planted as lawn trees in well-drained soils decline when attacked by gloomy scales. Leyland cypress is easily destroyed by bagworms. Azaleas are damaged by lace bugs. This list can go on and on.

When planting make sure to give plants a good start. Planting in groupings works well. Prepare the soil by tilling. Add 2 to 4 inches of compost, then till again. If trees are not in groupings or planting beds, do not mix anything with the soil on the site. What comes out of the hole goes back in. Do not plant deep. Dig holes no deeper than the root ball and at least three times the width in unprepared soil. In fact, it is better to plant shrubs with 1 to 2 inches of the root ball above ground and trees with 2 to 4 inches of the root ball above ground. Pull soil up to the edge to cover the sides but not the top of the root ball. Make sure to loosen roots of container-grown plants or score the root ball with a knife to promote root branching. If plants come with burlap and wire basket, remove as much of both as possible after they are in the hole and steady.

Mulch correctly after planting. Two to 4 inches of organic mulch is a good thing around trees and shrubs. Pull it up to the edge of the root ball. Less is needed around perennials and annuals. Do not pile mulch against the trunks of any plant. As trees grow, widen the mulched area underneath them to ensure good growth and prevent tree/grass problems.

If you have questions about your garden, lawn or landscape, give the Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers a call at 902-1705 or email pittcomgv@hotmail.com.

Danny Lauderdale is an agricultural extension agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service-Pitt County.

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Lauderdale: Plant right for success

Your landscape is very much like your home's interior decor.

It grows old, sometimes tattered and torn, and needs updating from time to time. Sometimes, plantings need to be completely torn out and totally replaced. Sometimes, old porches, patios and decks just don't work any longer.

Landscape design classes typically teach that a landscape lasts for 10 to 15 years before it needs at least a partial redo. Sometimes, it's best to just start over from scratch and get the look you've always wanted and never achieved because there was never enough advance planning and an overall plan.

Landscape designers agree.

"When I started my business 21 years ago, there was a housing boom in Williamsburg, Va., and the bulk of my business was landscapes for new construction," says Peggy Krapf of Heart's Ease Landscape & Garden Design, http://www.HeartsEaseLandscape.com, and a certified designer through the Virginia Society of Landscape Designers, http://www.vsld.org.

"As time passed, it has now become primarily renovating old, existing landscapes."

Most landscapes need renovation for one of the following reasons, according to Krapf:

Poor initial design, which becomes more obvious as years progress (wrong plants in wrong places).

Bad workmanship and poorly chosen hardscaping/materials that don't stand the test of time.

Old age of plants and bad or improper regular pruning through the years.

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Landscapes need renovating just like homes

A moon-like birth mark on the left chest. The knowledge of the landscape of the family home and location of the coal box in the yard. Information about the year their father left and where he died.

Raul Makhubu says these details should be enough proof to identify the mysterious man languishing in immigration detention in Canada for 10 years as his long-lost elder brother, anti-apartheid icon Mbuyisa Makhubu.

This man gave information that only a member of our family can be aware of, Makhubu said in an interview from Johannesburg.

He divulged all the information about the landscape in our home, how everything stood like in our yard. He knew our parents names. No one knows about my fathers history and what he was called at home. Yet this gentleman in detention in Canada knows all about this. I know he is my brother.

Now 52 and still recovering from a recent stroke, Makhubu said he is hoping to appeal to the South African and Canadian governments through the Star to release the man in detention and return him to his family as soon as possible.

It has been 38 years since our search for my brother. What is it that is delaying my brother from coming back home? asked Makhubu, who is planning to fundraise for a trip to meet the detainee in Canada.

Mbuyisa is my only brother. With our mother having passed on, I need him to come back home.

Mbuyisa was just 18 during the 1976 Soweto uprising in South Africa when he was photographed carrying the dying Hector Pieterson, a 13-year-old shot by police on June 16 that year.

The image, which captured the apartheid governments brutality against the African majority population, became a symbol of resistance and June 16 has since been marked as National Youth Day.

Mbuyisa, who wouldve been 56-year-old by now, was forced into hiding shortly after the picture was published. His family last heard from him in 1978 in a letter from Nigeria.

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Mysterious man in Canadian jail is Mbuyisa Makhubu, says brother of anti-apartheid icon

POSTED: Thursday, July 10, 2014 - 12:14pm

UPDATED: Thursday, July 10, 2014 - 3:33pm

Thursday, July 10th We have made it through the June excessive heat and our Borderland monsoon is in full swing! I have not done a lawn care and planting advice column since April so I thought there is no better time to get some summertime tips on keeping you plants happy and your yard and landscape looking good.

So I am checking in again with my plant and yard friend Daphne Richards, a County Agriculture & Horticulture expert. She now is Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for Horticulture. She is originally from Lorena, Texas. She studied botany at the University of Texas (hook 'em), then taught biology and physical science to some amazing ninth graders in La Joya, Texas. She has received an award that recognizes AgriLife Extension faculty and staff members who provide outstanding performance in education or to the agency. She was presented this award Jan. 8th during the agencys Centennial Conference in College Station. She worked 9 years in El Paso County as an Extension agent and 4 years in Travis County and now for Texas A&M. This lady knows her horticulture and plants!

I thought this would be a perfect time to share her summer advice for planting and yard maintenance for the Borderland in today's "Weather Talk".

Remove faded flowers from plants before they set seed-this will encourage them to continue flowering.

Frequent mowing (every four to five days) is best for your grass and helps reduce by preventing seed heads from forming.

Check for insects and diseases on plants, trees and shrubs. Spider mites become troublesome in the hot summer months. Look for tan speckles on lower leaves and/or spider webbing. Plants may turn brown and crisp where severe infestations occur. Hose down with a strong jet of water in a row to wash the mites off. Be very careful if applying any pesticides during warm weather this can lead to chemical burns on the leaves of you plants.

Continue to spray roses for black spots and insects. Funginex, Rose Defense, Daconil and Captan are suitable fungicides for treatment.

If moving house plants outdoors for the summer, be careful not to place them in direct sunlight. They are no longer accustomed to such intense light and plant leaves can be severely burned.

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Summertime Borderland Yard & Garden Care Tips

Economy

Posted on July 10, 2014 10:36:36 PM

Ms. Datukan and Bernadette Fatima R. Puyat, Agriculture Undersecretary for Special Concerns, led the launching of the Vegetable Landscape Project in front of the Agreda familys residence in the city.

Davao Citys government and the municipal government of nearby Polomolok is supporting the activity by providing planting materials to interested residents.

Private companies are also making contributions such as Yellow Bus Line, Inc. which donated old tires for use as plant receptacles.

The gardens here will serve as pilot areas as DA-12 aims to expand the project to the rest of Central Mindanao, also known as the SOCSKSARGEN region. SOCSKSARGEN consists of the provinces of North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani, as well as the cities of Tacurong, Kidapawan, General Santos and this city. -- L. O. Pacardo

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Veggie growing pushed in C. Mindanao

Depleted landscape

"Our best birds are declining in number and there's little change in sight. Our gardens need birds. The land is being skimmed for housing developments and replaced with skimpy, lookalike houses. It's heartbreaking when the bulldozers move in and the trees are cut down because birds are displaced. Great changes are taking place. Are we going to have a silent spring in a few years?"

James City issues

"To the people complaining in Seasons Trace about cats and a dog stalking their bird feeders, and digging in the flower beds. You are correct about the dog and the leash law. The dog's owner should control it and hopefully pick up the poop. But the cats are regarded as 'free roaming animals' and therefore are entitled to go wherever they please. You cannot control a cat; therefore, you need to protect your bird feeders as best you can. It is against the law to harm them even if they are on your property."

Clumpety-clump

"Capitol Landing Road has some serious problems too, about the seams. How many more weeks will it be before Public Works paints those much-needed stripes in our town after their paving? In James City County, VDOT re-striped its re-paved roads the next day."

Recycling

"Where do our recycled items go from Williamsburg/James City County? Is there a plant in our area or does it have to travel a long way, and what do they do with everything that they gather up?"

David Magnant, director of operations for VPPSA, responded: Recycled items goe to a County Waste material recovery facility in Chesterfield that is undergoing modifications. Like any MRF they must be updated with the latest ability to differentiate all the recyclables sent through the line. Typical MRF's have optical scanners, eddy current, magnetic head pulleys, blowers, shaker decks, to separate the different materials. While a facility undergoes upgrades, materials are baled and shipped. Currently some of the material from Poquoson and York goes to a facility operated by Bay Disposal and Recycling, and the rest goes to the County Waste facility."

"On the first day of pickup with the new recycling bins, the driver loaded the bin onto the truck with the mechanical arm, and proceeded to drive away while newspaper was flying all over our front yard."

Excerpt from:
Virginia Gazette Last Word for July 9: Depleted landscape; Recycling; Beware of scams

Updated JUL 07, 2014 2:53p ET

The red zone. Its only 20 yards, but a distance which glues people to their high-def televisions. Heck, a channel pays homage to the landscape. When an offense resides inside their opponent's 20-yard line, youll quickly reference your fantasy team(s) to see which player to pull for when a touchdown looms.

The word target is popular term tossed around the fantasy football world, too. Its easy to review who racked up the most receptions, but its going beyond the box score to dissect how many times the quarterback threw to a certain player.

When you combine the two expressions, red zone targets, the metric can provide loads of fantasy-relevant information before the season heats up.

The cream obviously rises to the top in these scenarios. Out of all the wide receivers, Calvin Johnson led the way with 26 targets inside the red zone, which was 30.2 percent of the Lions RZT (red zone targets). Wes Welker was second to Megatron with 24 RTZ (26.1 percent of Denvers RZT). The big name that has fallen in the receiver rankings this year, Larry Fitzgerald, was fourth with 22 RZT (40 percent of Carson Palmers red zone passes).

Much like the WRs, the tight end position is one where there is no surprise at the top: Jimmy Graham. The Saints tight end recorded 24 RZT (39.3 percent of Brees RZT). Second among TEs, Vernon Davis, had 19 RZT. Jordan Cameron tied Davis, but Cameron had a disadvantage of three different quarterbacks passing to him throughout the season. The next two names may surprise you. Greg Olsen of the Panthers and Delanie Walker of the Titans tallied 17 RZT.

Looking back at 2012 numbers and projecting 2013 success, Eric Decker had the most red zone targets with 25 looks from Peyton Manning. The following season, Decker finished with 23 RZT, the third-most in the NFL. However, this year, I would expect a significant drop in the rankings for Decker with the combination of Geno Smith and Mike Vick throwing him passes for the Jets.

Reliability becomes a large factor for the amount of red zone targets a player receives. Much like a crucial third or fourth down conversion, the quarterback will want a sure-handed teammate in a situation where every play could determine the final outcome. So, it shouldnt surprise you to find receivers like A.J. Green, Brandon Marshall, and Fitzgerald on the top of RZT lists.

As for the 2012 red zone target stats, four of the wide receivers in the top five RZT category concluded 2013 in the top 10 for receiving touchdowns. Looking forward, that would mean that Calvin Johnson, Wes Welker, Larry Fitzgerald, A.J. Green, and Dez Bryant should produce double-digit TDs. Though that conclusion wont shock many, players like Julian Edelman and Keenan Allen are just a couple names among the top 10 RZT from 2013 to keep an eye on for this fantasy football season.

One other name that stood out among wide receivers from the 2013 RZT rankings was Cecil Shorts. In just 13 starts with the Jaguars, Shorts was targeted 16 times inside the 20-yard line and 11 times inside the 10, last season. With Justin Blackmon suspended, again, Shorts is the top receiver on Jacksonvilles depth chart. Shorts average draft position of 77.5 a year ago should definitely rise in 2014.

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2014 Fantasy Football: Red Zone Targets Statistical Trends

When planning your exterior dcor you should be sure to keep in mind easy landscaping designs and photos that can help simplify your task. The outside design of your home is just as important as the interior dcor. If planned properly, the front of house landscape can really increase the curb appeal of your property. Some of the best landscape and garden ideas include adorning your yard with trees and plants that require little maintenance. Incorporating plants that do not require watering or trimming every day will make it easier for you to maintain. Plants and shrubs that do not need frequent maintenance and cheap to buy while becoming a great addition to both your front and backyard landscape designs. Because there are many different types of trees and plants to choose from, photo galleries can be great resources to help you make a decision. Whether you have a lot of money to spend or very little, there are many landscaping ideas on a budget to help you design your dream home.

When planning your design and getting ready to build an outdoor structure, our online photo gallery of landscaping ideas for the front yard can be a great source of information. Searching through photo galleries will give you an idea of trends others are doing in their yards and what you can plant in yours. While you are brainstorming about your yard, it is a good idea to consider simple landscape designs. If you are not an outdoor fanatic, you may find it difficult to develop a plan for your yard. Our many beautiful pictures of backyard landscaping ideas are online to inspire you to begin designing the perfect yard layout. Looking at these photos can help you decide upon the types of trees, shrubs, or flowers you wish to plant in your front or backyard. Planting landscaping trees outside your home can add shade as well as beauty to any space. You can even search for online landscaping pictures before and after to see the types of transformations that can take place by the simple addition of plants.

In order to retain the easy upkeep of your garden, you will want to choose low maintenance landscaping plants. These types of plants can grow and prosper with little water and do not require trimming and other care. Some easy large or small yard ideas include planting bushes such as the plumbago ariculata or leocophyllum frutescens. These bushes are water conserving plants that do not require irrigation or frequent watering. Another easy outdoor design is to plant a flower garden in your yard. There are numerous types of flowers that you can choose from with a wide range of colors. You can visit your local nursery, hardware store or look on through photo galleries for great ideas for garden flower bed designs. Planting flowers in your yard can be an easy way to spruce it up and add some color. If you live in a warm climate tropical landscaping plants can be a great addition to your home. Orchids, begonias, and ferns are great examples of tropical plants that you can plant in your yard.

If you dont have a fence, there are many landscape edging ideas that incorporate plants to create a wall around your home. Trees and shrubs are great plants to be used as a fence around your property to give more privacy. An easy to use for seclusion are fast growing trees that will reach their maximum height within a few years. Some privacy fence ideas for backyard gardening include using Green Giant trees or holly shrubs and bushes to create a wall. Both these plants grow rapidly and keep their dark green colors year round. For ideas of other easy landscaping plants to use as privacy hedges you can search our photo gallery. Using plants as a privacy fence is one of many great outdoor living space that can be an easy solution to keep your yard secluded without the hassle of installing a wooden or metal fence. Having these as a lawn edging throughout your yard will create a natural fence that will keep noise out and block the view from the inside and out.

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Top Landscaping Designs & Photos for 2014 with DIY Ideas

JEFFERSONVILLE

City Pride hosts landscape contest

City Pride, Jeffersonvilles Beautification Committee, is asking for nominations for its fourth annual home landscape contest.

Last years winners were Libby and Steve McCreight, who took top honors for their home in the Mellwood neighborhood.

It is very simple to enter this year. Call 812-989-0827 and leave the home address and the phone number of the nominated landscape and your name. Or you can email the information to Marilyn.Czape@twc.com.

There are a few rules:

It is required that you get the homeowners permission prior to submitting their landscape.

The home must be in the Jeffersonville city limits.

The landscape must be visible from the street (side or front yard). The contestants do not need to be home for the judging or otherwise do any additional work.

The winners receive two free tickets to the annual River Breeze Wine Tasting festivities held on the RiverStage Sept. 12, recognition at the event, a beautiful and unique yard sculpture and bragging rights for the year.

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BRIEFS: July 5-6, 2014

Why would anyone follow the advice of a landscape gardener whos been at it in Tucson for only five years?

Because, Bruce Hyland says, hes made a lot of mistakes in those five years. And he figures he could save a new gardener some time and heartache from those lessons he learned.

Hyland plans to give dozens of tips at his Tuesday talk, Down and Dirty Gardening. Its at the monthly meeting of The Gardeners of Tucson, of which he is a member.

The talk is aimed at new gardeners and those who think they have black thumbs.

I want to help people who have tried and it didnt work, says the retired business executive, consultant and professor, 62. Ive had so many failures, but I dont think its a bad thing.

Instead, Hyland has rediscovered the joy of gardening, something he avoided after leaving his tiny hometown of Haddam, Kansas.

As a teen and young adult, Hyland was known as the lawn mower king as he tended the gardens and lawns of all the old ladies in town.

The business paid his way to college. But once he started attending university, he was done with gardening. I swore I would never touch a plant as long as I lived, he says.

Thats not to say he didnt like gardens, but he had other people take care of his yards. That included while he lived eight years in Tucson in the 1980s as a manager and 22 years in San Francisco.

Fast forward to 2009, when Hyland was ready to retire. He decided to move back to Tucson. I always knew this was my spot on Earth, he says.

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Tucson garden thrives from years of heartache