For most gardeners this is the time of year when cabin fever is at its worst. There is little to be done in the yard. Planting is not an option. Weeding is impossible. And looking out the window watching the grass grow is nothing more than a joke.

The weather though, should not be a deterrent to at least planning for the new season. Its not too early to start thinking about changes in landscape design. Visualizing additions to existing flower beds or constructing new ones is just the beginning of the planning process. Building water features like a waterfall, fountains and ponds into a landscape design, creating walkways, adding a deck or adding onto an existing deck or sprucing up a patio are all possibilities. Experimenting with different types of annuals and perennials to enhance flower beds or even looking into the possibility of adding additional shrubs and trees to the landscape are added pluses for planning.

One of the major issues is how to get started and where to find the necessary information for any type of transformation. On-line research, catalogues and booking open doors to new ideas. Another avenue for research is attending one of numerous home and flower shows. Most shows contract with landscape designers to create gardens within the building and with suppliers to display everything from mulches to plant material to landscape building materials. Many also offer classes on a variety of gardening topics to help ease into the learning and planning process.

In Ohio the show season kicks off with The Great Big Home and Garden Show. It is open from Feb. 8 -16 and, as always will be in the Cleveland IX Center. Ahmed Hassan, a celebrity landscaper and TV host of DIY Networks Yard Crashers, and Joel Karsten, who offers a unique perspective on straw bale gardening for the vegetable garden are both scheduled to make guest appearances at the show. Pettiti Garden Centers will be offering seminars daily and there are 68 garden, landscape and outdoors exhibitors will be in attendance.

Throughout the state, in cities large and small home and garden shows are standard issue. The larger metropolitan areas of Columbus, Toledo, Cincinnati and Dayton host major events that offer a variety of exhibitors, garden displays and seminars. The number of exhibitors is greater in the larger city shows than those in smaller communities. The show season runs from February through April.

Visiting these shows is a great way to get new ideas for the 2014 season, to learn new garden techniques, to learn new uses for old materials and to see what new products will be on the market this year. It is a way to get out of the house, take a one day or even an overnight road trip. It is easy to locate the shows and the shows dates online just pick a show destination, plug it into the search engine.

For those less adventurous, the annual Great Lakes Home and Flower Show at Kalahari Resort is scheduled for March 14, 15 and 16 this year.

For gardening or Master Gardener information, check us out at erie.osu.edu or call 419-627-7631.

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Get a taste of spring at Ohio garden shows

Bradley C. Bower/Philadelphia Inquirer/MCT

Landscape architect David Hughes is also a skilled woodworker who salvages garden debris to make rustic furniture.

Flagstone terrace is featured that David Hughes, of Doylestown, Pa., carved out of the face of a cliff for clients in Upper Black Eddy. (Courtesy David Hughes via Philadelphia Inquirer/MCT)

David Hughes created this 4-foot-tall garden gate using native Eastern red cedar and Moravian tiles. (Courtesy David Hughes via Philadelphia Inquirer/MCT)

PHILADELPHIA David Hughes, a Doylestown, Pa., landscape architect with an affinity for native flora and natural landscapes, often finds himself ripping out dead, overgrown or otherwise-undesirable plants to make way for new.

But he doesnt haul that nasty Japanese honeysuckle, Chinese white mulberry, or Norway maple to the dump, curb or chipper. Hughes is that rare soul who prizes what other designers and gardeners despise, more so if its scarred by deer browsing, insect damage, or disease.

Thats because, in addition to designing ecologically responsible landscapes in the Philadelphia region, Hughes, 46, is a skilled woodworker who makes rustic furniture from garden debris, a kind of plant-world Dumpster diver.

To me, its a nice marriage, landscaping and woodworking, says Hughes, whose five-year-old business, his second, is called Weatherwood Design. It comprises about 70 percent landscaping and 30 percent woodworking.

Storm-felled trees and gnarly vines make good raw materials. So do pruned branches, old barn boards, and stuff plucked, with permission, from the side of the road.

An arborist friend scouts out intriguing branches and discarded trunks. Hughes helps the Natural Lands Trust and local preserves thin out invasives or dead trees. And every July 4, again with permission, he rescues unwanted driftwood from death by bonfire at a public beach on Marylands Eastern Shore.

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Recycling nature: Rustic furniture from garden 'debris'

9310 HILLTOP COURT, LAUREL, MD Presented by John Harrison.
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9310 HILLTOP COURT, LAUREL, MD Presented by John Harrison. - Video

Local landscaping professionals will learn "best practices" for wise water use in ridge landscaping when the Paradise Irrigation District (PID) holds a Landscape Irrigation Workshop from noon to 4 pm on Feb. 27.

Participants will explore new irrigation technology, discover plants that thrive locally with less water, and will learn about PID meter system tools to help their customers save landscaping water and cost.

The free workshop will include lunch, handouts, presentations by local experts in water-wise landscaping, and a roundtable discussion. Participants will learn how they can partner with PID to conserve water in our community and be recognized for that partnership.

In some homes, more than half of the water usage is for outdoor landscaping. A water-wise landscape is one that allows for a beautiful, healthy landscape with waterwise plants, minimal supplemental irrigation, and little to no adverse runoff. Yard professionals, including handymen, landscapers and gardeners who help customers care for their yards are eligible to attend this free workshop. Preregistration is required. Call PID at 877-4971 to register.

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Water-wise landscape workshop set for yard-care professionals

Heres a timely topic even with rain in the forecast for the North State this week. The Paradise Irrigation District is hosting a Water-wise Landscape Workshop for yard care professionals.

PID Officials say it will feature best practices for wise water use in landscaping on the ridge. The Landscape Irrigation workshop is scheduled from noon to 4 pm on Feb. 27. Participants will explore new irrigation technology, discover plants that thrive locally with less water, and will learn about PID meter system tools to help their customers save landscaping water and cost.

The free workshop will include lunch, handouts, and presentations by local experts in water-wise landscaping, as well as roundtable discussion. And it will cover conservation partnerships.

PID says that in some homes, more than half of the water usage is for outdoor landscaping. Yard professionals, including handymen, landscapers and gardeners who help customers care for their yards are eligible to take part. Pre- registration is required at 877-4971.

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Water-wise Landscape Workshop offered for yard care professionals

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SACRAMENTO (CBS13) Californias drought isnt the end of your yard, as experts say there are plenty of ways to have a beautiful landscape while still conserving water.

Many communities are instilling restrictions on water use, including Sacramento and Roseville which have 20 percent reductions in place.

Sacramentos restrictions go as far as limiting outdoor watering to one day a week, which must be on the weekend. That level of cut can leave a lawn feeling dry.

But Silverado Nursery guru Carly Smith says there are things you can do to beautify your yard.

Theres a lot of plants you can put in your landscape that take minimal water but will still give you the same effect of having lush green landscaping, she said.

One of those plants is the grevillea, which is a native of Australia and requires very low amounts of water. Its the opposite of the horsetail that thrives in water saturated areas.

Water fountains arent something youd think of adding in the middle of a drought, but Smith says its a good addition, since the water recirculates.

She recommends trees, as they create a canopy that will reduce the amount of water that evaporates out of a yard.

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California Drought A Chance To Re-imagine Your Yard

Never underestimate the value of landscaping your home. The Wall Street Journal reported that a homes value can increase by 7 to 14 percent with an attractive landscape. That means that a home with a base worth of $200,000 can now be worth $14,000 to $28,000 more just by adding a moderate landscape. Smart Money Magazine and the American Nursery & Landscape Association indicate that this investment is always recouped and sometimes doubled. They also state that landscaped homes spend five to six weeks less time on the market.

These statistics alone should be an encouragement to homeowners to landscape their homes. But, what about those owners who are not looking to sell any time soon. What value is there for them to landscape their yards?

A yard that is landscaped correctly, not necessarily expensively, will add to the living space of your home. Your yard should not be a no mans land; a place that no one ventures into except to mow. You pay a mortgage on your house and land. You should enjoy as much of it as you can.

A good landscape will provide privacy, tranquility and opportunity. It will give you places to do the things you like to do. These spaces dont just happen in a landscape any more than they do in a house. Architects design houses with rooms and spaces to do the things you have told him you like to do. A yard is the same way. Make a list of activities you would like to do in your yard. This may include doing nothing but, I will bet, that doing nothing also means that you would like it to look nice for you or for the public as they drive past. This is still an activity.

Activities in houses take place in rooms; rooms that are designed for that activity (ie. kitchens for cooking, bedrooms for sleeping, bathrooms for bathing). Yards have areas (spaces) for eating, cooking, playing, relaxing, gardening, bird watching, swimming and anything else your heart desires. Outdoor rooms are created with walls, floors, ceilings, furniture, and accents just like interior rooms. Floors are made of grass, stone, brick, concrete, sand etc. Ceilings are made of trees, overhead structures, overhangs with hanging baskets and umbrellas. Furniture can be traditional benches and tables, but gardens (they take up space in the large room called a yard), fountains, ponds and swimming pools can all be considered to be furniture. Accents in the house are throw pillows, lamps, spots of color. In a landscape, accents are bedding plants, brightly colored patio pots, light poles, and art.

A proper combination of walls, floors, ceilings, furniture, and accents for the activity you wish to do will generate a wonderful landscape fit to meet your needs and increase your living pleasure. (If you would be interested in attending a landscape design class to further explore there concepts please contact the Extension Office at (785) 232-0062 ext. 104 and leave a message.) A landscape design class is being planned for this spring TBA.

Here are a few other benefits to a good landscape.

Lower crime rates and enhanced self-esteem. Landscape projects deter graffiti and other vandalism while increasing community pride and self-esteem for homeowners and neighborhood dwellers.

Stress reduction. It is a proven fact that blood pressure decreases in people with a nice landscape. Working in gardens or just relaxing and enjoying them generate benefits. Improved attention, reduced muscle tension, reduced feelings of fear, anger, aggression, and increased contentment have all been documented as a result of a landscaped yard.

Children who work or play in nice yards cope with stress more easily, learn responsibly, increase in their imaginations, and take ownership of their world more readily.

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Jamie Hancock: Don't underestimate value of landscaping

Note: Just a reminder of our sixth annual Spring into Gardening workshop, set on Feb. 22, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the LifeSpan Center in Mattoon. Register at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/ccdms/ or by downloading a registration form from the same website, or one may register in person at the Coles County Extension office, 707 Windsor Road, Suite A, Charleston. The cost is $20 per person. For more information, phone the Coles County Extension office, 217-345-7034.

WOW! What a winter this one is turning out to be. I am sick of it already and we are not even half way through, but it has brought with it some pretty incredible scenes outside my windows.

Winter offers a great opportunity to see a trees bark, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator.

Many trees offer spectacular bark, said Rhonda Ferree. Too often people overlook this part of a plants aesthetic qualities. But considering that most deciduous trees and shrubs are without leaves for many long winter months, we should consider using trees and shrubs with good bark character.

The trees most commonly planted for their bark characteristics are white-barked trees. Examples are birch, sycamore, and white poplars.

Some trees are actually more beautiful without foliage because of their bark, she said. Good examples include Acer griseum and Ulmus parvifolia.

Acer griseum goes by the common name of paper bark maple because of its spectacular bark, which is a cinnamon brown that exfoliates to expose rich brown colors.Ulmus parvifolia is also called lacebark elm. It has magnificent bark with mottled combinations of gray, green, orange, and brown. Compared to other elms, it shows considerable disease and insect resistance.

Paper birch trees are very popular but unfortunately do not typically live long in Central Illinois. Two commonly planted white birch trees are white birch (Betula papyrifera) and European white birch (Betula pendula). Both have whitish bark, but the Europeans bark does not peel as much, and with age the trunk becomes black.

Both of these trees are extremely susceptible to the bronze birch borer. Therefore, I do not recommend planting these trees unless you are willing to replace them every few years, Ferree said.

Ferree suggests a better option is to plant a white-barked version of the native river birch (Betula nigra Heritage).

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Yard & Garden: Many trees offer some spectacular bark

Looking for a job in the outdoors? Signature Landscapes is looking to hire up to 120 new employees before the end of March.

Ajob fair will take place at Signature's landscape headquarters at 3705 Barron Way, Reno from 10:30pm to 1:00pm on Thursday, January 30th. The office is located just off of Longley Lane, east of Meadowood Mall.

Signature Landscapes is hiring for all types of landscape positions. Key jobs include: *Landscape Construction Crew Leader (landscape credentials required) *Landscape Construction Manager (landscape credentials required) *Irrigation Technician (landscape credentials or equivalent required) *Class A Equipment Driver (CDL plus landscape experience required) *Field and Yard Care Specialist

From field and construction labor to irrigation technicians, skilled crew leaders to construction managers.Pay ranges from $10.50 to $22.70 an hour depending on experience.

Training for specialized positions will be provided to select candidates.

Other available positions include arborists, experienced mechanics and equipment operators, just to name a few.

You can also view open positions and apply online at http://www.SigLands.com. For more information, please contact Steve Fine at Signature Landscapes. Call (775) 857-4333 or email steve@siglands.com.

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Signature Landscapes to Hold Job fair Thursday in Reno

No matter what time of year, Claire Campbell Schuchman is thinking about planting, flowers and landscape design. The master gardener and owner of Exceptional Gardens in Mt. Lebanon is always planning gardens and helping others to plan their own.

The Mt. Lebanon resident will be teaching the three-week Landscape Design Course Feb. 24, March 3 and March 10at Mt. Lebanon Public Library.

One of the best parts of my career is to help others create their own gardens and this gives me that opportunity, she said.

Ms. Schuchman, 57, remembers spending summer days in Dormont helping her grandmother, Clara Miller, with her garden.

Nana was the original organic gardener. We would have a big compost pile and I remember all of her flowers and the birds in the garden, Ms. Schuchman said.

Her own efforts at gardening didnt begin until she moved to Virginia Beach with her husband, Jim, after college when he was in the Navy. Finding herself with a new lawn of sandy soil, she didnt know how to grow grass let alone anything else.

I looked at that yard and said, What am I going to do with all this soil? she said.

Starting with grass seed, Ms. Schuchman said she planted and made a lot of mistakes. Through trial and error, she tried new seeds, plants and composting and was able to get grass and other flowers to grow.

I started getting grass clippings from all of my neighbors and started composting. My neighbors probably thought I was nuts, she laughed.

Ms. Schuchman was also able to pursue another passion of hers while the young couple lived in Virginia Beach. She worked on the 700 Club, a television show hosted by evangelist Pat Robertson.

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A newsmaker you should know: Master gardener loves creating new plans