Spring Home Improvement 2013

HOMEimprovementspring

inside:n Lawn care ideasn Picking a fencen Fire up the ambience

MARCH 2013

Page 2 Spring Home Improvement • March 2013

2

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Fenced in?Know your options

Whether you are looking to corral a family pet or just looking for a little more privacy in the backyard, there are many reasons to invest in installing a fence.

Once you’ve made that decision, how do you go about choosing the best option, while stay-ing within your budget?

Rich Kujawa, owner of Custom Fencing in Niles, has some answers.By CRAIG HAUPERT

[email protected]

Page 2 Spring Home Improvement • March 2013 Spring Home Improvement • March 2013 Page 3

3

ChainlinkA chainlink fence, he said, is generally

going to cost less than other options, such as wood, vinyl or ornamental aluminum or steel fencing.

Chainlink fencing is also durable and easy to repair if a section begins to rust, he said.

“Going that route is really a win-win be-cause you will save money, and it will last forever,” Kujawa said.

Although it is some of the least expen-sive fencing, it does not offer much priva-cy. But if you are looking at fencing sim-ply as a barrier, chainlink could be the way to go.

WoodA wooden fence is another inexpensive

fencing material. Pickets can be purchased in various heights — taller for privacy — and can be used as garden border fencing or to mark property lines between homes.

It also comes in a variety of styles to fit individual tastes.

“They are beautiful, but they do require a little bit of maintenance,” Kujawa said.

He recommends power washing the wood every couple years and applying stain or paint to increase its lifespan. One downside, Kujawa said, is the wooden post will eventually rot and need to be re-placed.

“In this area, you can get a good 15 years or more out of a wood post,” he said.

VinylAlthough vinyl fencing is one of the

more expensive fencing materials at the outset, it does pay for itself rather quickly thanks to minimal maintenance. Unlike some other materials, quality vinyl will not rot, discolor or crack.

Kujawa said the vinyl his company in-stalls comes with a lifetime warranty that is transferrable to future homeowners.

“You will save money in maintenance cost, and the warranty can be a selling point with the house,” he said. “Once it goes in, you really don’t have to do any-thing except spray it off if it gets dirty.”

Ornamental aluminum or steel

This type of fencing has the appearance of old-school rod iron fencing at a much lower cost and comes in a variety of dif-ferent styles, heights and colors.

Kujawa said the fencing he uses also comes with a lifetime warranty and pow-der coating designed to protect against chipping.

“It’s similar to a chain link in that it will last forever,” he said.

No matter what style you choose, Kuja-wa said it is important to purchase from a professional fencing company with a good reputation.

A Custom Fence employee installs an 8-foot white vinyl solid privacy fence in Coloma last year.

Custom Fence installer, Aaron Foust, works on a 6-foot commercial ornamental alumi-num fence in New Buffalo Township at the new water park last fall.


4

1

Grow your own

By CRAIG HAUPERTcraig.haupert

@leaderpub.com

Jim Shelton, owner of Shelton’s Farm Market and Garden Center in Niles, said he believes more and more people are beginning to grow and consume their own food.

So what’s driving this trend?

Shelton said there are three things.

Firs t , people have more t ime on the i r hands to grow their own food. Second, people are looking for ways to save money, and, third, more young people are inter-ested in getting back to local, fresh, out-of-their-garden produce.

“These young people aren’t driven necessarily by economics or any-thing else other than, ‘hey, I want to do this,’” he said.

To satisfy this grow-ing demand for home-grown produce, Shel-ton’s Farm Market and Garden Center is ex-panding the number of food-producing plants it offers this spring.

Right now, Shelton said they’ve ordered 153 food-producing plants.

“I added all that I could think of to add,” he said. “It used to be, if I had raspberries, I may have one variety — now I have six or seven. If I had blueberries, I’d have two varieties — now I have 11.”

Shelton’s Farm Mar-ket and Garden Center has also broadened its base of apples to around 25 varieties, while offer-ing several varieties of c h e r r i e s , c a b b a g e , grapes, pears, peppers, pecans, walnuts, squash, potatoes and plums.

Shelton expects it to be a hit.

“I have no question about it,” he said.

Shelton’s Farm Mar-ket is located at 1832 S. 11th St. in Niles. Call the store at (269) 684-3230. Go online to shel-tonfarms.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/SheltonFarms.

Trends in food:

Shelton’s expands selection of food-producing plants


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By JOHN [email protected]

When Teri Frantz joined Dowagiac’s community garden, it signaled her sur-render to shade and sandy soil at her home on Main Street.

Lawn challenged?Understanding the situation is key; solution may follow

“Another thing about the hard, sandy soil in town, I don’t know of any other town that has as many people who have kidney stones and gall stones as people here,” the semi-re-tired teacher said.

Many homeowners aim for a picture-per-fect lawn with an expanse of soft, green grass.

Mother Nature may have other things in mind, providing homeowners with less-than-stellar growing conditions for lawns, plants and other foliage.

Frustration can mount when a yard is mud-dy, is especially shady or has soil that doesn’t seem to grow anything.

In such instances, homeowners may have to go the extra mile to get desired results.

Hallie Jessup, who has lived on Colby Street in Dowagiac since 1979 and a perenni-

al placer in Town and Country Garden Club’s beautification contest, said her chal-lenge isn’t dirt.

“My soil’s very good, no problem at all,” said Jessup, who has experimented with compost from the city site to manure from her son’s horses.

Jessup’s challenge was she had no back yard. The Casey family of Sandy Acres Farm and Feed Service built her home in 1964 and planted the big tree that shades her urban “hideaway.”

Jessup, who cooked at Round Oak Restau-rant, extensively developed the front and side yards of her corner lot. She calls her fenced-in patio her “garden room,” where she sips coffee while listening to birds and watching squirrels at her feeders.

Every yard has its challenges. Here are a few situations you may be working to over-come.

Irrigation issuesImproper drainage or low-lying areas in a

yard may contribute to a muddy mess. Soil

See LAWN, page 6


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inhospitable for grass also may end up causing muddy patches because grass sim-ply does not grow.

In some cases, remedy-ing a muddy yard is easy and inexpensive. Some homeowners find tilling the soil and amending it with a fiber mulch helps to absorb extra water and make con-ditions better for lawn seeds to sprout.

LAWNContinued from page 5

This also helps aerate compacted soil that can hinder grass growth. Add-ing soil fill also may help to level puddling in low-lying areas.

Some homeowners find they need to do a little more work and spend some more money to fix irrigation issues. Installing a draining system or hav-ing the property sloped to draw water away can sometimes be done by a homeowner, but is often best left to a professional. You may need to dig trenches, and the property

may need to be regraded to make a difference.

Sandy soilGrass and other plants

may not grow well with sandy or clay soil. Again, amending the soil is one remedy. Although it will take some work at the out-set, amending the soil can improve conditions and re-duce how much mainte-nance the lawn needs.

Digging down several inches and adding nutrient-rich filler soil can help cre-

ate conditions better for growing.

Those interested in planting vegetables could opt for raised garden beds above the challenging soil — thwarting critters which snack on tender plants.

ShadeSometimes a yard is

problematic because of the amount of sunshine it re-ceives.

Too much sunshine can scald certain grasses, while inadequate sunshine may

result in bare patches where grass won’t grow.

If cost is no object, re-moving or planting trees to establish better growing conditions could be an op-tion.

However, today there are many grass blends tailored toward specific sunlight scenarios. Homeowners may find low-light blends will grow better in shady areas.

Lisa Thorne, who moved to Dowagiac from Kalam-azoo and is active with the community garden, said her previous locations har-

bored the strangest soil she’d ever seen.

“It looked rich, but was like black dust. It didn’t hold water.”

She surmised it had been part of a celery flat and was depleted of essential minerals. She had a posi-tive experience dealing with MSU Extension to have her soil extensively analyzed.

Some plants don’t mind sandy soil, such as toma-toes, said Thorne, who per-sonally combines a small vegetable garden with flowers.


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For those finding no luck with grass blends, it may be necessary to think cre-atively. Plant shade-loving plants, such as ferns or

ground cover, where grass won’t take.

Design the landscape so it looks intentional. Flag-stone and slate placed in

certain areas may mask temperamental growing ar-eas. There are different op-tions for managing various situations in the yard that

can make growing lawn or other plants challenging.

If projects prove too dif-ficult, consult a profession-al.

Many homeowners are constantly on the lookout for ways to make their homes more environmen-tally friendly. Such a pur-suit is both noble because it helps the environment and practical because it of-ten saves money.

While there are many eco-friendly improvements homeowners make inside their homes, it’s important to note that there are sever-al ways for men and wom-en to be more environmen-tally conscious outside of their homes as well. Lawn care can be done in a way that’s conscious of the en-vironment, and the results

can be just as appealing as if the lawn were tended to without regard for the planet. The following are just a few of the many ways homeowners can adopt more eco-friendly practices when tending to their lawns.

n Be conscientious when watering. Overwa-tering a lawn is pretty common, especially during the dog days of summer, when homeowners try to overcompensate for hot days with excessive water-ing. The growth of moss on sidewalks or the drive-way is a telltale sign that

you’re watering too much, as is a standing pool of wa-ter on the grass. Home-owners who find it difficult to determine when their lawns have gotten enough water can purchase an in-telligent irrigation control system that adapts your watering to a lawn’s needs as well as the weather.

n Turn back the clock on your tools. Before gas mowers became the stan-dard, man-powered push mowers were used to cut the grass. Such mowers still exist, and they require no fuel, making them a

Eco-conscious methodsfor tending a lawn more eco-friendly option

than their gas-powered counterparts.

Along those same lines, leaf blowers are a far less friendly way to rake leaves in the fall or clean the yard after a long winter. While there’s no denying their ef-fectiveness, leaf blowers

See METHODS, page 8


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n Avoid pesticides when-ever possible. Many home-owners treat their lawns with pesticides, which can

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METHODSContinued from page 7 Globe of life


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Globe of lifeBy TERRI GORDON

Special to Leader Publicatons

Globe gardens are sus-pended, potless arrange-ments that seemingly defy gravity.

Fernwood Botanical Gardens and Nature Pre-serve recently hosted a class led by horticulturalist Ben Futa on this Japanese art form called kokedama.

The roots of a plant, or of a small grouping, are

tightly packed into a ball of soil, then wrapped in moss, tied with string and hung to amaze and perplex admirers as the orbs grow — seemingly floating in midair.

In actuality, the project is a bit trickier than it looks, if only for the want of an ex t r a hand o r two . Choosing the plant, or plants, is the first step. Light plays a big role. Futa recommends keeping the globes out of direct sun-

light and away from heat sources, so plants that like bright indirect light, or even low light, work best. For the project, Futa sup-plied an array of house-plants and ferns.

Other plants Futa sug-gested were herbs, such as thyme and rosemary, and succulents, particularly se-dums.

More experienced grow-ers might experiment with using orchids and even practice bonsai in the hang-ing gardens.

Once plants are chosen, moist soil is packed around the roots to form a ball. The ball needs to be big enough for the plant to be able to grow, and tight so the soil doesn’t fall away.

The next step is to wrap sheet moss, presoaked in water, around the ball, making sure all bare spots are covered, and no soil ex-posed.

“What we’re doing at this stage is creating a ‘pot,’” Futa said. “The biggest thing is to make sure there’s no soil leaking out.” Flaws will show them-selves during the watering phase.

When the soil ball is completely encased in moss, which can take more than one layer of moss, it is time to tie off the “equa-tor.”

Fishing line serves as the “invisible” ties that bind, the first tie a line wrapped snugly around the middle of the ball, tied in a knot and trimmed of excess.

Now the person takes more line and begins to wrap it around the soil-and-moss ball, using the line to shape the ball. It’s impor-tant to use enough line to keep the ball together, but not so much it shows. To make the globe hang, it may help to recall old mac-ramé classes.

There are two ways to hang the garden.

One way involves tying a series of lines to the “equa-tor,” then bringing them to a meeting point above the plant.

The other uses a single line tied to one of the lines wrapping the ball. The line must be able to bear the weight of the globe. “When you have multiple [ties], it spreads the weight out,” Futa said.

When the globe is com-plete, it can be soaked in water until saturated, then let to drain so it won’t drip when hung.

Leader photos/TERRI GORDON

Caring for globe gardens is as easy as misting them reg-ularly or taking them down for a good soaking from time to time. “The outside will dry before the inside,” said Ben Futa, a horticulturist.


10

By SCOTT [email protected]

Sitting around an open fire used to be something people did when they were camping. But portable fire pits allow just about anyone who wants to gather friends and family around a warm blaze whenever desirable.

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A fire pit can make your patio a year-round oasis.

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DOWAGIAC, MI 49047 PHONE: 269.782.1953

According to Randy Hale, general manage at Hale’s True Value in Dowagiac, fire pits are being used spring through fall.

“You can use them in the fall, in the spring or even on those cool summer nights,” Hale said. “It actu-ally is for all seasons now.”

Fire pits originally were used by people who just wanted to relax out in the

back yard or on the patio. Now, homeowners have

realized that adding a fire pit can increase the value of their property.

Once a specialty item, fire pits can be found in all shapes, sizes and costs.

Hale said quality and features have an impact on the cost of a pit.

“We always show them what we have available and point out the different features that are avail-able,” he said. “They have features like ones that al-low you to drain the water out of it. The more you spend on a fire pit the bet-ter the materials are that it’s made from. You can also get screens that sit on

top of them that keep the hot coals from leaving the pit.”

Hale said the copper bowl-style fire pits are particularly attractive to customers because they are affordable.

“When they are on sale, they go pretty quickly,” he said.

While the pit protects the ground from the open flame, people need to be careful when and where they set them up.

Hale noted it helps to have a prepped area for the pit to sit.

Here are some tips to consider when using a fire pit:

n Keep the fire pit away from the home and objects that can burn. Maintain a safe distance from the fire pit at all times.

n The best place to have the fire pit is on hard stone, cement or tile. Por-table fire pits can be placed on patio stones in the lawn.

n Use a screen to keep embers and sparks from escaping during use.

n Keep children a good distance away from the fire pit and always super-vise when the pit is in use.

n Make sure the fire is extinguished before going in for the night.

n Do not use any accel-erants to make the fire bigger or light faster.

n Buy a vinyl cover to protect the fire pit from the elements when not in use.


11

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Portage8800 Shaver Rd.(269)323-0660

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By CRAIG HAUPERTcraig.haupert

@leaderpub.com

Owning a home was a dream that seemed out of reach for the Beechler fam-ily a year ago.

With the help of Niles-Buchanan Habitat for Hu-manity, the dream became a reality this year.

“It is so exciting,” said Heather Beechler during a dedication ceremony for their new home at 903 Fer-ry St. in Niles. “We are just so thankful they are giving us this opportunity. With-out it, we might not have been able to get a mort-gage for two or three years.”

The Beechler’s home is the 27th constructed through Niles-Buchanan

Habitat for Humanity, which is celebrating its 25th year in existence.

President Joan Schmidt thanked the countless peo-ple and organizations that helped make the building of the Beechler’s home — and the 26 that came be-fore it — possible.

“We are changing an empty lot into a house, and eventually a home, for this family,” she said.

Heather’s husband, Josh, works at Michiana Recy-cling and Disposal Servic-es in Niles.

Heather has been taking nursing classes at South-western Michigan College.

She said she is taking time off from class to take care of her 4-year-old son Adam, who has spina bifi-

da — a birth defect in which the backbone and the spinal canal do not close before birth.

Adam attends school half day at Northside Child Development Center in Niles.

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that provides low-income families the means to be-come homeowners.

In addition to a down payment and monthly mortgage payments, home-owners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor into building their habitat house and the houses of others.

It is largely supported through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials.

Leader photo/CRAIG HAUPERT

Josh, Heather and Adam Beechler participate in the lighting of the candles

during a dedication ceremony at their new Habitat for Humanity home

Home fires burn brightlyOn the cover


12

Upgrade your bulbs and SAVE BIG!Think beyond incandescents. For every light in your home—floodlights, chandeliers,

sconces, 3-ways, globes, dimmables—there’s an energy-saving CFL or LED. Receive

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michigan-energy.org/RetailersSearch to locate the participating retailer nearest you.

ENERGY TIP: ENERGY STAR® bulbs use 75% less energy than incandescents and last 6 times longer.

ONLINE: michigan-energy.org PHONE: 877.296.4319

Energy Optimization programs and incentives are applicable to Michigan service locations only. Other restrictions may apply. For a complete list of participating utilities, visit michigan-energy.org.

Documents

Spring Home Improvement 2013