January might be the most important month in the garden calendar; it is the time when we can stop fussing and start thinking.

Perhaps you have just moved to a place where the garden is nonexistent or old and tired, and in either case needs a fresh start. Perhaps you have a part of the yard that needs redoing, or you are simply pondering how you set about crafting a garden.

From the safe tether of a soft chair, you can soar to the heady heights of landscape design, which is the most important but least considered aspect of garden-making.

Plants bring life, sculpture, texture, color and more to the garden, but they need a framework. I've known plant geeks whose entire yards are random collections of favored flora. They are places that are wholly enthralling to their creators, but to no one else.

Every garden needs a coherent structure. Design is pragmatic it creates safe steps instead of muddy slopes but it also drives scale, sets the mood and establishes a spirit of the place.

In the 1960s, Geoffrey Jellicoe, a giant of 20th-century landscape architecture, wrote a book with his wife, Susan, that described the two essential elements as "form" and "content."

Form "is the disposition of space," they wrote in "Modern Private Gardens." The photos in the book, of mid-century modern houses and gardens, are in black and white and not particularly flattering, but they reveal a real paucity of plantings that, to my eye, actually deflates the central argument. There is too much form and not enough content.

Since the 1960s, we have enjoyed a horticultural revolution; far more ornamental plants are at hand along with an accepted need to use them in more natural ways. But this surfeit requires a keener sense of restraint to avoid a formless jumble.

Jellicoe, for a while, had formed a design partnership with another great modernist, Russell Page. Whenever I want to be recharged, I read Page's classic "The Education of a Gardener" for his masterful insights and his gift of taking visual concepts and putting them into words.

Page's fundamental approach to garden design was forged when, as an art student, he was told: "Know what it is you want to say, then try and express it as simply as you can."

Read more:
The Gardener In January: A Blueprint For Green Dreams

Idea Spectrum develops powerful, yet user-friendly landscape design software for Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP. Designed for both homeowners and professional landscape designers, you'll appreciate how easy our software makes it to visualize your landscape design ideas. Compare our landscaping software. Read the Landscape Software review by Landscape Contactor Magazine, and the review from Landscape Architect magazine.

Version 2013

"Realtime Architect is an incredibly powerful program that can be easily customized into the designers dream software quickly. And the simultaneous 2D and 3D capabilities allow you to give your client twice as much product in half the time." - David Hawthorne, Complete Landsculpture.

Version 2013

"This is absolutely the best landscaping program that I have ever used. The program is so user friendly my kids can even use it. I cannot believe how real the pictures really look. I give this program 5 out of 5 stars, I am so happy that I found you all." - Von Lindsey

Version 2013

"What super software this is. I have designed my house and yard and also others in my family using your software and when they see it on screen they cannot believe their eyes. Anybody can use this software and I highly recommend it to landscapers and instructors of landscaping. Awesome." - James Long

Go here to read the rest:
Landscape Design Software, 3D Landscaping Software - Idea Spectrum

LECANTO --

Citrus Countys Florida Yards & Neighborhoods program is hosting two workshops.

The CCY&N program is a public education and outreach program of the University of Florida funded by Citrus County Utilities.

Florida-Friendly Landscaping means using low maintenance plants and environmentally sustainable practices to produce a beautiful landscape. For more information about Florida-Friendly Landscaping visit, http://www.bocc.citrus.fl.us/waterres/conservation/conservation.htm.

Irrigation Scheduling and Management

Citrus County Florida-Friendly Landscaping is offering a free gardening workshop on Tuesday, January 14 from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm. Irrigation scheduling and management are essential to successful and sustainable gardening. Providing the plants with the water they require and efficient application of this resource is the topic of the day.

Winter is a great time to evaluate your existing system with practices that include: planning water reducing retrofits, regular monitoring and catch can testing to calibrate the system. Plan to reduce unnecessary water consumption.

Classes are held at the Citrus County Extension Service Building located at 3650 W Sovereign Path in Lecanto. Please contact Steven Davis at (352) 527-5708 to confirm your participation. Landscaping 101

Citrus County Florida-Friendly Landscaping is offering a free gardening workshop on Tuesday, January 21 from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm. Landscaping 101 is the first in a series of educational workshops providing guidelines for successful landscape design and planning.

This first workshop describes the site evaluation phase of landscape planning. Bring a site plan or aerial photograph of your property and we will begin the process. A series of five workshops are scheduled providing participants the landscape design skills needed to create attractive and sustainable garden improvements.

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Yard and landscaping programs offered in Lecanto

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SERVICE/GARY BACHMANA friendly garden gnome brings year-round interest to your landscape, and if their lore is true, a dose of good luck and a little garden help, too.

GARY BACHMAN Office of Ag Communications

Even though the weather in the middle of winter prevents much gardening with plants, dedicated and enthusiastic gardeners find ways to keep fun and interest in the yard all year long.

You may have seen garden art in other people's yards, but have you considered bringing it into your own? A whimsical way to jump right in is to bring home a gnome.

Garden gnomes are creatures of woodland legend that represent the most elemental spirit of the earth. Gnome comes from the Greek word for "earth dweller," and these statues were first used in German gardens in the mid-1800s.

Early garden gnomes, which were made of terra cotta, were painted and clothed like miners of the day. From the very first, gnomes have been dressed in the little pointed hats we instantly recognize. From Germany, the use of garden gnomes spread to France and England. In parts of Europe, their presence is a status symbol.

Garden gnomes today come in a variety of materials and clothing styles and can be found around the world.

Tradition says garden gnomes bring good luck and goodwill to the gardener who invites them in. Ancient lore says gnomes take care of the gardens they inhabit, enhancing the harvest.

Some believe that at night, gnomes get busy and take care of some of the smaller garden chores. This concept is the basis of the animated movie "Gnomeo and Juliet" in which blue and red gnomes come to life when their owners are not looking.

With all this history and lore, aren't you ready to try at least one gnome in your garden? Even if you laugh at these stories, garden gnomes have value as yard ornaments and can bring a simple pleasure to your landscape.

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Bring a garden gnome home to your landscape

January might be the most important month in the garden calendar; it is the time when we can stop fussing and start thinking.

Perhaps you have just moved to a place where the garden is nonexistent or old and tired, and in either case needs a fresh start. Perhaps you have a part of the yard that needs redoing, or you are simply pondering how you set about crafting a garden.

Adrian Higgins

Adrian Higgins has been writing about the intersection of gardening and life for more than 25 years, and joined the Post in 1994. He is the author of several books, including the Washington Post Garden Book and Chanticleer, a Pleasure Garden.

Archive

From the safe tether of a soft chair, you can soar to the heady heights of landscape design, which is the most important but least considered aspect of garden-making.

Plants bring life, sculpture, texture, color and more to the garden, but they need a framework. Ive known plant geeks whose entire yards are random collections of favored flora. They are places that are wholly enthralling to their creators, but to no one else.

Every garden needs a coherent structure. Design is pragmatic it creates safe steps instead of muddy slopes but it also drives scale, sets the mood and establishes a spirit of the place.

In the 1960s, Geoffrey Jellicoe, a giant of 20th-century landscape architecture, wrote a book with his wife, Susan, that described the two essential elements as form and content.

Form is the disposition of space, they wrote in Modern Private Gardens. The photos in the book, of mid-century modern houses and gardens, are in black and white and not particularly flattering, but they reveal a real paucity of plantings that, to my eye, actually deflates the central argument. There is too much form and not enough content.

Original post:
January: Time to plan the garden

If you enjoy plants, yard and garden work, learning new things and helping people, consider becoming an Extension master gardener. This volunteer program has been in Platte County since 1983, and we currently have 21 active volunteers. New volunteers join in January and early February.

Extension master gardeners are trained volunteers. In Nebraska, they assist University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in extending lawn, landscape, and garden information to youth and adults in their communities.

A master gardener might answer plant questions at the Extension office or at a master gardener booth, help with a 4-H gardening workshop, assist at the county fair, work with a local community garden or demonstration garden, or help plan an educational bus tour. Some volunteers design their own volunteer activities.

If you think you need to be an expert gardener or have many plant growing experiences to become an Extension master gardener, this is not the case. You only need to be interested in learning more about plants, meeting new people, and have the time to participate in training and volunteer outreach.

New volunteers are asked to complete 40 hours of education and return an equal number of volunteer hours throughout the year. After the first year, and once the first 40 hours are completed, returning volunteers are asked to complete 12 hours of continuing education and 12 to 20 volunteer hours annually.

Along with education about a variety of plant topics, master gardeners receive a handbook on plant care and additional literature on many plant topics. They learn about a variety of garden and landscape opportunities across the state and nationally through the International Master Gardener conference.

Additional benefits are meeting people with similar interests, sharing plants, discussing gardening successes and failures, and learning from each other, as well as the opportunity to share information with- and help others.

If you enjoy learning about plants, but do not have the time needed to become a volunteer, the lawn and garden classes are open to the general public to attend for a fee. You can choose which topics you are most interested in and attend only the sessions that are of interest to you.

Lawn and garden education sessions are held Tuesday evenings from 6:30-9 p.m. beginning Feb. 11. Topics to be covered this year are Integrated Pest Management, Diseases of Herbaceous Landscape Plants, Turfgrass Care and Management, Landscape Pollinators and Pollinator Friendly Plants, Plant Propagation, and Landscape Weed ID and Herbicide Update.

Classes are also held Thursday mornings from 9 a.m.-noon beginning Feb. 13. The topics this year include Pruning Trees, Shrubs and More; Vegetable Gardening, and two others sessions that are yet to be arranged.

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Become an Extension master gardener

Peyton Manning. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

(CBS)When the dust settled in the NFL landscape on Sunday, Peyton Manning appeared to have eclipsed Drew Brees 2011 passing record.

Manning completed 25-of-28 passes for 266 yards, good for 5,477 yards on the season one more than Brees record.But the NFL is now reviewing a 7-yard completion to Eric Decker with just over a minute remaining in the first quarter.

According to a report from ESPN, one camera angle implies the pass to Decker is a lateral, which would make it a running play. Another angle, however, shows Decker catching the ball at the Broncos 48-yard line, with Manning slightly deeper than that.

If the play stands, Manning keeps his record. If the NFL determines the play was in fact a lateral, Manning would finish with 5,470 yards, which would be the second-highest season total in league history.

Manning already broke Tom Bradys single-season touchdown record with 55 touchdowns this season.

View original post here:
NFL Reviewing Peyton Manning’s Passing Record

Delawareans are encouraged to give their recycling spirit a boost after the holiday season by delivering their Christmas trees to one of many yard waste recycling facilities located throughout the state. Many of the facilities will accept the trees for free.Please note that Christmas trees are no longer accepted for recycling at any Delaware State Park locations.

Christmas trees will be accepted from familiesfor recycling until Jan. 25 at the facilities listed below. Trees will not be accepted from commercial haulers or tree vendors without prior approval. Artificial decorations, including hooks, wire, tinsel and ornaments, as well as wood and metal tree stands, must be removed from all trees before dropping them off for recycling.

Many Delawareans have been recycling their Christmas trees for many years, and we encourage everyone to establish or continue this eco-friendly tradition, said Bill Miller, program manager in the states Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Section. Recycling these trees that are a product of nature is a wonderful way of giving back to the environment.

Christmas tree recycling saves valuable landfill space. At least 18 percent of residential waste is composed of grass, leaves, brush, trees and other lawn maintenance and landscaping materials. Prior to Delawares yard waste ban, these materials - considered a resource for composting and reuse rather than waste - were deposited in landfills, taking up valuable space and limiting local markets for mulch and compost products.

Many companies such as waste haulers and landscapers also collect Christmas trees. Regular trash haulers may offer one-time collection for Christmas trees in January. For a partial listing of entities that collect Christmas trees and other yard waste, go towww.dnrec.delaware.gov/yardwaste and click on Yard waste collection options.

Christmas trees, stripped of all decorations and detached from tree stands, can be dropped off by Delaware residents for free at any of the following locations:

Blessings Greenhouse, 9372 Draper Road, Milford; 302-393-3273; hours: Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Wednesday, Jan. 1

Blue Hen Organics, 33529 Fox Run Road, Frankford; 302-732-3211; hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Jan. 1

Grizzlys Landscape Supply Service, 18412 The Narrow Road, Lewes; 302-644-0654; hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Jan. 1

Kaye Construction, 22288 Coverdale Road, Seaford; 302-629-7483; hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closed through Jan. 1

Continued here:
Christmas tree recycling carries on statewide

Growing Together

The fruits of American viburnum can persist all winter, providing beauty and food for wildlife. David Samson / The Forum

Don Kinzler

Landscape talk in late December in North Dakota might seem a bit odd, but we have a seasonal golden opportunity. Rather than viewing six months of landscape dormancy as a season half-empty, lets relish it as half-full.

I realized the beauty of winter landscapes when we sold Christmas trees years ago. In mid-December, sales wound down, and I would look out our windows to the large display plantings that Mary and I had developed. I was struck by the quiet beauty of the shrubs and trees, their twigs and bark, shapes and colors against the snow. Evergreens contrasted with redtwig dogwood. The shaggy bark of river birch was exotic. Snow-covered benches and fences completed the scene, which would have been a photographers dream snapshot. It was serene and amazingly intriguing.

The simple beauty reminded me that we can embrace the winter landscape and enjoy its offerings. Best of all, it can be experienced looking out a window from the comfort of our home. Plus we dont need to mow the lawn yet, and the first weeds are still months away.

Lets accomplish two winter landscape tasks.

First, we can spend time looking out the window to appreciate existing nature while reawakening our sense of horticultural awe.

Second, we have the opportunity to do some thought gardening to plan improvements to our winter wonderland. When spring arrives, the last thing on my mind is our yards appearance in the dead of winter. So I should make notes now for spring implementation. Otherwise, I wont remember and it wont happen.

There are six principles for developing or improving a winter landscape:

View post:
Growing Together: Tips for creating a beautiful winter landscape

Patio and porch containers of summer can be repurposed for holiday and winter focal points of interest.

They can be filled with evergreens and other natural materials to create interest in the same spots where the petunias grew this past summer. You may be surprised how quickly a few containers will dress up the cold and dormant winterscape. Here are some tips for keeping porch containers working through the winter.

Less is more. During the winter, there is less competition in the outdoors to draw the eye, so use fewer containers for more impact. If you normally have three pots flanking each side of your door, then scale back to one or two. Or make two large containers and minimize the amount of materials in the remaining ones.

Thriller, filler, spiller still applies. Even though the materials may be different in winter, use the same formula used to combine plants in the growing season. Use a tall element like dogwood branches for thriller, rounded items like dried pods, cones or dried flowers for filler.

Plan an easy transition from holiday to winter decor. By removing red bows or glass balls of the holidays, the rest of the container can keep the seasonal interest going until its time to plant pansies.

Scavenge your landscape for materials. Many of the components for winter containers might already be in your yard. Create your own sustainable scavenger hunt and look for:

Berries, such as red cotoneaster, blue or green juniper and orange currants.

Cones from evergreen trees and shrubs.

Seed pods and dried plants like yarrow, hydrangea or Echinacea.

Colorful deciduous branches that can be cut such as red-twig dogwood or others with an interesting shape like sumac.

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Landscape Logic column: Containers create quick winter decor