September 26, 2010

&garden

Published by The Times-Herald

2B — The Times-Herald — Sunday, September 26, 2010

HOME & GARDEN

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The historic Oak GrovePlantation and Gardens willhave an Open Gardens day onOct. 2 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. inNewnan

Oak Grove is located at 4537North Highway 29 in Newnan.

A fundraiser for the ArnoldCemetery (on site), OpenGardens admission is a $10contribution and is taxdeductible. Children areadmitted free.

Oak Grove is a restored 1830plantation with outbuildings,complete with farm animals.Bring your family, a picniclunch and enjoy the day. Thereare five acres of gardens,including herb garden, formalgarden, secret garden, sunkengarden and a playhouse gar-den.

The gardens have beenongoing for 27 years. They arean interpretive restoration ofwhat a 19th century plantationowner’s wife might have done.The owners, George and LizTedder, grow heirloom plantsand recent introductions.There will be extra plants

Open Gardens day at Oak Grove

from the gardens for sale to

benefit the cemetery.

The gardens have been fea-

tured in Southern Living,Southern Living Landscapebook, Country Gardens,Southern Homes, Atlanta

Magazine and the other publi-cations. Pictures of the gardenscan be viewed online atwww.oakgrovega.com.

-Times-Herald Staff photoA number of gardens are on the Oak Grove Plantation grounds, including a Pool Garden, aSinaqua Garden, and a Crepe Walk. Draw inspiration for your own home landscape duringthe Open Gardens day there Oct. 2.

By SARAH LEWISUniversity of Georgia

It’s that time of year again.School is back in session, foot-ball is around the corner, fallharvesting will begin, and it’stime to fight fire ants, says aUniversity of Georgia entomol-ogist.

Most people treat when theysee active fire ants. “April andSeptember are good times toapply baits, once at the start ofthe season and toward the endto help control before theycome back in the spring,” saidWill Hudson, a professor withthe UGA College of Agriculturaland Environmental Sciences.

Fire ants are most active inwarm weather. Fire ant seasoncan last 10 to 11 months out ofthe year in the most southernareas of Georgia.

Controlling ant coloniesbefore they produce a mound isimportant. However, Hudsonsays that once a treatment pro-gram is in effect, timing is notall that important.

Baits and spraysThe general rule of thumb is

if the area is one acre or less,don’t use baits. Re-infestation ismore likely from colonies out-side of the yard when baits areused.

One important thing toremember is the differencebetween ‘no mounds’ and ‘no

ants.’“There is a difference

between eliminating ants andcontrolling them,” he said.“Baits do not eliminate antsbecause there is no residualcontrol. A new colony can stillcome in and be unaffected bythe bait laiddown prior totheir arrival.”

To eliminatemounds com-pletely, applybaits every sixm o n t h s ,Hudson said.“There will beinvasion in themeantime, andyou will stillhave fire ants,just notenough to cre-ate a newmound,” hesaid.

The leasteffective treat-ment optionfor most peo-ple is individ-ual moundtreatments, according toHudson.

Treating mounds in general isgoing to be an exercise of frus-tration, and killing an entirecolony by treating just themound is a challenge, he said.

Hudson recommends treatinglawns with a registered insecti-cide in a liquid solution. Use ahose-end sprayer for good cov-

erage. This should rid the lawnof fire ants for one to threemonths.

If you choose a granular prod-uct, measure carefully to be sureyou apply the correct amount ofmaterial and get good, even cov-erage, he said.

Minimalimpact

Baits areconsideredto havem i n i m a le n v i r o n -m e n t a leffects forthose whochose notto use haz-a r d o u schemicals.Once thebait is out,there ishardly any-time foranything tocome inc o n t a c twith itbefore the

ants get to it.Other nonchemical options

include using steam or boilingwater.

“We recommend using boil-ing water to treat a mound nearan area such as a well whereyou do not want any chemicals,”Hudson said. “Using hot wateris very effective, but the prob-lem is you are not always able to

boil the water right next to thearea you want treated.”

Carrying the boiling watercan inflict serious burns, soextreme caution should be usedwhen treating with this method.

There are products on themarket that are approved by theEnvironmental ProtectionAgency and labeled as organic.Hudson says organic designa-tion is a “slippery” definition.There is an official USDA certi-fication and many states havetheir own set of regulationswhen labeling a product asorganic. This labeling can meanthe product is either a naturalproduct or derived from a natu-ral product.

“While there are a few prod-ucts that qualify as organic, withmost baits the actual amount ofpesticide applied is minimal,” hesaid.

Hudson says to be carefulwhen choosing a productbecause the labels can be con-fusing, even deceptive, and it isdifficult to make the rightchoice. For assistance in select-ing a product, contact a pest-control professional or yourlocal UGA CooperativeExtension agent.

“The most important thing toremember is that you need to berealistic in your expectations,”Hudson said. “If you are treatingmounds, you need to be pre-pared. You are going to chasethe mounds around the yard.”

Fall is fire ant mound treatment time

Photo courtesy USDATo eliminate fire ant mounds com-pletely, UGA experts say you mustapply baits every six months.

For many people, the perfectautumn weekend includes cozycampfires, gooey s’mores andfiery-hued forests. To help leafpeepers plan their fall escapes,Georgia’s state parks will soonlaunch “Leaf Watch 2010” totrack fall color as it movesacross the Peach State and theBlue Ridge Mountains.

Whether heading north forhiking and waterfalls or southfor canoeing and camping,“Leaf Watch 2010” offers adviceon where to find the best colorat Georgia’s state parks. Foundat www.GeorgiaStateParks.orgthroughout October andNovember, travelers can get

updates on fall color, learn safehiking tips, and make reserva-tions for the many campsites,cottages and lodge roomsoffered at Georgia’s state parks.

New this year is a partner-ship with Georgia ForestryCommission and a webcam atBlack Rock Mountain StatePark near Clayton. Expertforesters will advise travelersabout overall color, specifictree species and even theweather’s effect on leaf watch-ing. The webcam will provide aglimpse of color progressingacross the Blue RidgeMountains.

"Fortunately, there are no

'bad' years for fall foliage inGeorgia," said Ken Masten,Gainesville District Managerfor the Georgia ForestryCommission. "With moderat-ing temperatures and sufficientrainfall in the next weeks,sunny and cool fall days shouldset the stage for the best show-ing of autumn color."

Typically, Georgia’s moun-tain parks peak in late October;however, color can be seen asearly as September andthroughout much of November.Some of the most popularparks for leaf watching includeAmicalola Falls, Black RockMountain, Cloudland Canyon,

Fort Mountain, MoccasinCreek, Smithgall Woods,Tallulah Gorge, Unicoi andVogel. Since some of theseparks are crowded on the pret-tiest weekends, visitors maywant to explore lesser-knownparks, which can be equallypretty. Providence CanyonState Park, also called Georgia’sLittle Grand Canyon, has hikingtrails that highlight sweetgumsand sassafras. Hardwoods andmossy rock gardens can befound on the 23-mile PineMountain Trail at F.D.Roosevelt State Park in nearColumbus.

Fall leaves expected to be vibrant

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FUN FOR ALL. ALL FOR FUN.

The Backyard Association issponsored by the CowetaCounty Master Gardeners andprovides free gardening sessionsfor the general public the sec-ond Tuesday of each month at 7p.m. at the county fairgrounds.

The sessions last approxi-mately one hours.

Call 770-254-2620 to registerfor door prizes.

The group’s next meeting isOct. 12.

Free gardeningsessions offered

Photo by Bob ShapiroThe Piedmont Newnan Hospital Auxiliary will have a Decorator Show House open for tour this Nov. 20-23. Several local designers will lendtheir creative expertise to the show house, the former home of Dr. and Mrs. James J. Thomasson Jr. Proceeds from the tour of the 1937Georgian mansion, located at 74 Jackson St., will benefit the Auxiliary’s scholarship program for nursing students, and its pledge to theWomen’s Diagnostic Center. Pre-sale ticket locations will be announced soon.

Decorator Show House tour opens Nov. 20-23

According to the latest pollconducted by the NationalAssociation of the RemodelingIndustry (NARI) on its Website, the majority (56%) ofhomeowners cite functionalityas their largest concern when itcomes to theirhome.

“The func-tionality of ahome is veryi m p o r t a n t ,especially overthe long term,as many home-owners in thiseconomy haveopted for remod-eling over moving to newhomes,” says NARI NationalPresident Paul Zuch, CR, presi-dent of Capital Improvements.

Functionality of the homegenerally starts with gooddesign. Remodelers can helphomeowners take special careto look for the missing detailsin any home design — from thelocation of the electrical out-lets to the location of lightswitches.

To address concerns, home-owners should think abouthow they intend to use thespace in the future. Young fam-ilies with small kids may use

the space differently thanempty-nesters. Multi-genera-tional households oftentimesrequire universal design princi-ples to be incorporated toincrease the accessibility foreveryone who lives in the

home. NARIremodelershave theability to tapinto the spe-cial needs oftheir clientsand incor-porate theminto thedesign.

“It’s allabout personalization — home-owners want to know that theirspace can be converted easilyinto a difference space in thefuture,” Zuch says. “As childrenage and move out, they want tobe able to make that spacetheir own.”

When planning a remodel,here are a couple details youmay want to think about:

Where you want electricaloutlets, telephone jacks andcable hook ups.

What type of lighting isrequired — perhaps you’ll wantto add a skylight or recessedlighting.

Functionality in the home named top priorityBlending the design of new

living space into existing livingspace.

Your current and future stor-age needs.

Universal features to accom-modate the needs of a broaderrange of people throughouttheir lifetimes.

These details will enableyour remodeling contractor tohelp implement a design thatbest suits your needs andlifestyle. Consulting with a pro-fessional will provide you withideas to increase convenience,time and money-saving hintsfor your particular project.

■ For remodeling and homeimprovement tips or

information to help youdecide to whether to “do it

yourself” or hire aprofessional, visit

www.nari.org.

MOVE SHRUBSOctober is a great time to

transplant shrubs, sayUniversity of GeorgiaCooperative Extension experts.Prepare the hole in advance sothe transplant won't dry outwhile it waits to be replanted.

BULLDOG PUMPKINSPumpkins are grown mostly

in northern regions of the state.Georgia is among the top 10pumpkin-growing states.Orange Bulldog, a new UGA-bred variety, consistently pro-duces yields of 13,000 to 20,000pound per acre in north andSouth Georgia.

CLEAN DIRTLeach container soils occa-

sionally to remove any mineralsalts accumulated from fertiliz-er and hard water, say expertswith University of GeorgiaCooperative Extension. Brownleaf edges and crusting on thesides of clay pots are two indi-cators of a salt problem. Toleach large containers, wateruntil the soil is soaked, thenallow water to run slowly fromyour hose into the pot forabout 20 minutes. For smallpots, water each container

until it drains from the bottomholes. Wait a few minutes, thenrepeat.

DISINFECT PRUNERSDisinfect pruners between

cuts when removing diseasedtissue from plants, say expertswith University of GeorgiaCooperative Extension. Mostauthorities recommend a 1:10solution of bleach and water.But it can be cumbersome tocarry a bucket of this mixabout in the garden. The solu-tion is corrosive, too, and mustbe rinsed from tools after use.You can also use a householddisinfectant spray for this job.It won't damage tools and ismuch easier to carry.

UNWELCOMEHOUSE GUESTS

As temperatures drop, youmay find Asian lady beetle inyour house. But don’t grab acan of pesticide. Use a hand-held vacuum to suck up the lit-tle critters. Then release themoutside where they can muchon harmful pests in your land-scape.

Autumn home andgarden tips, tricks