May 18, 2014

Home
Garden
2014
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Sat 8am-2pm (seasonal)
All proceeds support the mission of Palmer Home for
Children to provide superior residential care for children
that introduces the love of God through service and
extends that care to many more children in need.
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855.672.5637 | www.palmerhome.org
Check out our bedding plants,
flower baskets, vegetables, and MORE!
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ADVERTISER INDEX
Bella Interiors 7
Biddy Saw Works 7
Bloomers 7
Browns Farm & Garden Supply 15
Citizens Bank 13
Evans Plumbing & Air Cond. 16
Falcon Lair 9
The Granite Guys 13
Handyman Rental 3
Johnson Carpet 7
Marvins 11
McBride & Co. Real Estate 15
Military Hardware 13
Modern Pool & Spa 9
Lowes 15
Northeast Exterminating 11
Palmer Home for Children 2
Palmers Interiors 3
ReMax 9
Ron Lor Window Fashions 5
Smith Landscaping 5
Sobley Pool 5
Something Southern 5
Southern Awning & Construction 13
Southern Fireplaces 11
Starkville Floor Covering 3
Twin States 15
Weems Landscape Services 11
106 Spruill Industrial Park Road
Starkville, MS 662-615-1404
www.starkvilleoorcovering.com

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On-staff interior designer with over 25 years of experience in
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ON THE COVER
The gardens of Windy Hill, the home of Nancy Imes
in southwest Lowndes County, are a sight to behold.
See more of them in the summer issue of Catfsh Alley
on newsstands now! Cover photo by Matt Garner
__________________________________________
RIGHT AT HOME:
Victorian garden style lives on
By Kim Cook | For The Associated Press
T
hose drawn to 19th century style
may be pleased to learn that vintage
garden decor is a trend this spring
and summer.
The look involves forals, weathered
wood, wire, period typography, bird
motifs and accessories, and other
elements with a Victorian vibe, says Tom
Mirabile, a trend watcher for Lifetime
Brands.
The appeal lies largely in the eras
garden-as-haven aesthetic, he says.
We look at the Victorian age as an era
when there was just a lot of time, he said
at an industry trends seminar earlier this
year at the NY Now trade show.
Conservatories, greenhouses and
aviaries were popular in stately Victorian-
era homes, but even modest residences
might have a little birdcage. Fashionable
too were ferns, palms and terrariums.
Pottery Barns got miniature greenhouses
this season made of white-painted
distressed pine and glass, perfect
terrariums for small plants. A replica of a
vintage birdcage is made of wire painted
hunter green; its tall enough to house an
elegant orchid, but would also work as a
tabletop accent.
On a grander scale is the retailers
Conservatory birdcage, a nearly 5-foot-
long mahogany and wire piece that would
ft on a console table or atop a long shelf.
While its dramatic in and of itself, a
collection of objects would look amazing
inside it.
Floral motifs roses in particular
were all the rage during the Victorian era.
Art and textiles featured illustrated fora
and fauna from home and exotic parts of
the world.
Bradbury & Bradbury now offers a
couple of art wallpapers derived from
illustrations by period artists William
Morris and Walter Crane. Fenway has
an Art Nouveau-style pattern with irises
at its heart, while Woodland showcases
the artistry of both Morris and Crane
winsome rabbits and long-legged deer
cavort across a leafy landscape.
Designer Voytek Brylowski offers
prints of works by Victorian illustrators
Mary and Elizabeth Kirby. Parrots,
toucans, lilies and hummingbirds are
hand-colored, vibrant examples that can
be mounted in simple frames and placed
near a patio door or anywhere the
gentility and charm of the period might be
appreciated.
By digitally enhancing old images, I feel
that I give them new life, and preserve
historically signifcant illustrations and
drawings by these famous naturalists,
says Brylowski, who is based in Wroclaw,
Poland.
Jennifer Stuart, an artist in Tulsa,
Okla., has designed a collection of plates
depicting damask and foral prints of the
19th century on patio-friendly melamine.
And Pier 1s Floria collection has a vintage
damask pattern in garnet, soft blue and
grass-green in a collection of indoor/
outdoor rugs and throw pillows.
Cast-iron and wicker furniture and
containers were used both indoors and
out in the late 19th century, just as today
we use rattan chairs in the family room
and the garden, or iron plant stands in the
kitchen as well as the patio. Restoration
Hardwares Hampshire and Bar Harbor
all-weather wicker collections include
chairs and sofas in restful shades of
cream, gray and mocha.
Early visitors to resorts in New Yorks
Adirondack Mountains discovered
the eponymous big wooden chair
thats withstood hundreds of years
of style changes. Hayneedle offers a
good selection in both real wood and
Polywood, a recycled plastic resembling
wood.
West Elms collection of soft yet sturdy
braided baskets, woven of bankuan grass,
evoke French laundry bins. Use them as
storage in any room; the natural color
makes them versatile.
Turquoise chicken-wire baskets and
cloches can be found at farmhousewares.
com, which also has a vintage-style
garden supply shop sign in the form of
a hand. Galvanized planter pots in sets
of six would make great receptacles for
herbs or miniature blooms. a
AP Photos 2014
4 SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 acdispatch.com HOME & GARDEN GUIDE HOME & GARDEN GUIDE acdispatch.com SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 5
By digitally enhancing old images, I feel
that I give them new life, and preserve
historically signifcant illustrations and
drawings by these famous naturalists,
says Brylowski, who is based in Wroclaw,
Poland.
Jennifer Stuart, an artist in Tulsa,
Okla., has designed a collection of plates
depicting damask and foral prints of the
19th century on patio-friendly melamine.
And Pier 1s Floria collection has a vintage
damask pattern in garnet, soft blue and
grass-green in a collection of indoor/
outdoor rugs and throw pillows.
Cast-iron and wicker furniture and
containers were used both indoors and
out in the late 19th century, just as today
we use rattan chairs in the family room
and the garden, or iron plant stands in the
kitchen as well as the patio. Restoration
Hardwares Hampshire and Bar Harbor
all-weather wicker collections include
chairs and sofas in restful shades of
cream, gray and mocha.
Early visitors to resorts in New Yorks
Adirondack Mountains discovered
the eponymous big wooden chair
thats withstood hundreds of years
of style changes. Hayneedle offers a
good selection in both real wood and
Polywood, a recycled plastic resembling
wood.
West Elms collection of soft yet sturdy
braided baskets, woven of bankuan grass,
evoke French laundry bins. Use them as
storage in any room; the natural color
makes them versatile.
Turquoise chicken-wire baskets and
cloches can be found at farmhousewares.
com, which also has a vintage-style
garden supply shop sign in the form of
a hand. Galvanized planter pots in sets
of six would make great receptacles for
herbs or miniature blooms. a
4 SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 acdispatch.com HOME & GARDEN GUIDE HOME & GARDEN GUIDE acdispatch.com SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 5
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Which white is right?
6 SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 acdispatch.com HOME & GARDEN GUIDE HOME & GARDEN GUIDE acdispatch.com SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 7
By Beth J. Harpaz | For the Associated Press
S
o you want to paint a room white. Sounds easy,
until you go to the hardware store to buy paint and
discover there are dozens of whites to choose from.
Many have familiar yet poetic names that conjure up
ever-so-slightly different hues: cream, pearl, vanilla, snow,
chalk, ivory, jasmine, bone. But the closer you look, the
more confusing the choices are. You want a plain, basic
white, but the purest white on the color chart looks a
little harsh next to all those soft shades with just a hint of
something else beige, gray, peach, rose, yellow or the
palest-ever blue or green.
Often people default to white because they dont want
strong colors in their home. But as it turns out, its harder
to choose white than any other color, says Sharon Grech,
a color design expert at Benjamin Moore Paints.
She says Benjamin Moore alone offers
more than 150 whites, and when people
are choosing white, I see more people
unhappy or making a mistake or being
shocked at the color than when they
choose other colors.
And watch out if you go with a
pure white un-tinted by any other
hue. Leatrice Eiseman, execu-
tive director of the Pantone Color
Institute, which maintains color standards, says the purity
and cleanliness of the purest whites can also make
them feel very sterile and cold. And you can literally get
eyestrain from too much dazzling white. So youve got to
be cautious. Most people dont want to live with hospital
white.
More so than with other colors, whites are also more
infuenced by colors around them, so Grech says its cru-
cial to try a sample to see how it looks in the room. Buy
a pint and paint a 2-by-2-foot board that you can move
around your home. Sometimes the sun hits it one way
or another at different times of day, or it looks different
against the rug, or you realize its got a lot of pink in it or
green in it, she says. It might look totally different in the
morning than at night.
The paint sheen makes a difference too, whether
matte a fat paint or a shiny high-gloss. One recom-
mended mix is a semi-gloss trim with matte on the walls.
And dont forget the ceiling. More people are thinking
of the ceiling as a ffth wall, Grech says. Think about it
in terms of all the rooms that white is going to be fowing
through on the ceiling.
Most people want fat paint on the ceiling, but if you
want to bring focus to the ceiling, a semi-gloss or
high gloss can look spectacular in the right space,
she says.
James Martin is an architectural color consultant
whose company, the Color People, designs colors
for buildings. He says if youre going to have white,
you want to use a warm white yellow white,
peachy white, rosy white. Anything you live with,
you want it to be warm. Its especially important in
an old house: If you use a warm white, youll see
all the wonderful details in the surrounding wood-
work much better, he says.
He adds that white kills art. When you put a
piece of art against a white wall, it isolates the paint-
ing so it becomes like a postage stamp a thing in
a box. If you put the same painting against a colored
wall, it eliminates those boundaries, pulls the colors
out of the painting, and brings the painting to life.
Martin doesnt like white walls, though hell use
off-white in a ceiling. He cautions that bright white
trim and a bright white ceiling will make other colors
look brighter than they would if you were using an
off-white. What can work, he says, if you really like
white, is to choose a warm white for walls in a fat
sheen, then high-gloss trim the same color. Its a
very sexy, subtle thing to do, he says.
Dont pick colors online, advises Martin, because
they can be distorted. But there is an art to studying
the paper fan deck of paint colors in the store. Bring
a white piece of paper with a square cut out so you
can focus on the color youre considering without
being infuenced by the hues around it.
And if youre color-challenged and unsure
whether the white youre eyeing is more on the rosy
side or the orange side, follow it in the fan deck
from its palest iteration to its deepest, to see its true
undertone. Warm tints include red, orange, yel-
low, and offshoots like peach and apricot, but if you
want to cool a room off, go for colors like blue and
purple. In between are the neutrals taupe, gray,
beige.
And dont get overwrought about the choices.
I think most people have more judgment than they
think they do, Eiseman says. You look at some-
thing, you have a doubt about it because your eye
is telling you something is off here. Or you look at it
and it pleases you. In the end, its your eye and your
comfort level. a A
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Over 90 Years of Combined Experience
By Melissa Rayworth |
For The Associated Press
T
he arrival of spring means that fea
markets are reopening for busi-
ness around the country. Shoppers
will hunt for treasures amid acres of
used goods. A few will come home with
just the right vintage art or quirky piece
of furniture to make their home more
beautiful.
Jaime Rummerfeld, co-founder of
Woodson & Rummerfelds House of
Design in Los Angeles, sometimes mixes
fea-market fnds with high-end new
furnishings to decorate the homes of her
celebrity clients.
The beauty of fea markets, she
says, is you never know what you will
fnd. Theres nothing like being outdoors
or in a place off the beaten path rum-
maging through old treasures.
Los Angeles-based interior designer
Brian Patrick Flynn, creator of the Fly-
nnsideOut design blog, also hunts for
vintage pieces: I shop second-hand
regardless of my projects budget or
clients level of taste, he says. Vintage
and thrift is the best way to add one-of-
a-kind fair to a space without insanely
high cost.
There is luck involved, of course. But
skill also plays a role. As you browse
crowded tables of used things this spring,
how can you fnd the treasures that will
give your home an infusion of style while
avoiding decorating disasters?
Here, Flynn, Rummerfeld and an-
other interior designer who shops for
vintage decor Lee Kleinhelter of the
Atlanta-based design frm and retail store
Pieces tell how they do it.
WHEN TO GO
Winter and early spring are perfect
for fea-market shopping, says Flynn.
Since thrifting and antiquing are often
associated with gorgeous weather and
weekend shenanigans, many people shy
away from hunting for their vintage fnds
when its cold or gloomy, he notes, so
go now and go early.
I usually show up just as the fea
market opens to ensure I see every new
item as its put out on display, he says.
When you wait until the end of a fea
markets run to check out its stuff, youre
likely to fnd mostly leftovers, things
priced too highly which others passed
over, or things that are just way too
taste-specifc for most people to make
offers on.
TIME TRAVEL
Rummerfeld occasionally fnds
signed artwork and ceramics by note-
worthy artists at fea markets and antique
malls.
It is amazing to see what people cast
away, she says. I personally hunt for
Sasha Brastoff ceramics because of
his unique California heritage as a set
decorator and artist. She has also found
vintage Billy Haines chairs and Gio Ponti
lighting at fea markets.
So read up on the designers and
artists from your favorite periods, and
then hunt for their work or impressive
knockoffs.
A single fea market might offer
goods from every decade of the 20th
century. Can you put a lamp from the
1970s on a table from 1950? Yes, if the
shapes and colors work well together,
Kleinhelter says.
If your home has contemporary de-
cor, Rummerfeld says it can be power-
ful to add one statement piece a side
table, say, or a light fxture from a
previous era.
But a little bit goes a long way. Use
vintage in moderation with contempo-
rary spaces, Rummerfeld says. It will
highlight the uniqueness of the vintage
item. You dont necessarily want to live
in a time capsule.
FIXER-UPPERS
You may assume that old upholstered
furniture should be avoided, especially
if the fabric looks dirty or damaged. But
these designers say its actually a great
thing to hunt for: Hands down, uphol-
stery is the best deal to walk away with
at fea markets. Just make sure you train
your eye to pay no attention to the exist-
ing fabrics, Flynn says. Zero in on the
lines of the frames instead.
Kleinhelter agrees: I usually gravitate
toward the bones and frames of vintage
pieces, and I make them my own by add-
ing fun fabric or lacquering the base.
The same goes for lighting. Buy it if you
love it, but get the wiring updated by a
professional. Flynn usually estimates an
extra $50 to $75 per fxture for updating
the wiring, so keep that cost in mind as
you bargain.
MIX AND MATCH
Be on the lookout for pieces you can
use together. You dont need multiples
of the same chair or sofa to make a room
ASK A DESIGNER:
tips for flea-market finds
8 SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 acdispatch.com HOME & GARDEN GUIDE HOME & GARDEN GUIDE acdispatch.com SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 9
AP Photos 2014
rary spaces, Rummerfeld says. It will
highlight the uniqueness of the vintage
item. You dont necessarily want to live
in a time capsule.
FIXER-UPPERS
You may assume that old upholstered
furniture should be avoided, especially
if the fabric looks dirty or damaged. But
these designers say its actually a great
thing to hunt for: Hands down, uphol-
stery is the best deal to walk away with
at fea markets. Just make sure you train
your eye to pay no attention to the exist-
ing fabrics, Flynn says. Zero in on the
lines of the frames instead.
Kleinhelter agrees: I usually gravitate
toward the bones and frames of vintage
pieces, and I make them my own by add-
ing fun fabric or lacquering the base.
The same goes for lighting. Buy it if you
love it, but get the wiring updated by a
professional. Flynn usually estimates an
extra $50 to $75 per fxture for updating
the wiring, so keep that cost in mind as
you bargain.
MIX AND MATCH
Be on the lookout for pieces you can
use together. You dont need multiples
of the same chair or sofa to make a room
8 SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 acdispatch.com HOME & GARDEN GUIDE HOME & GARDEN GUIDE acdispatch.com SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 9
Let a RE/MAX agent guide you.
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work, Flynn says. Stick with those which have similar scale and propor-
tion, then recover them in the same fabric.
Once you get home, use fea market fnds sparingly, Flynn says, mixing
them in with the pieces you already own: A few big pieces mixed with some
smaller ones added to your existing stuff can instantly take an unfnished
space and make it feel way more fnished and remarkably personal.
MONEY ADVICE
The best way to get an amazing deal is to buy a bunch of different items
from the same vendor, says Flynn. This way, they can actually lower their
prices since youre guaranteeing them more sales, which in turn also makes
their packing up and leaving much easier.
You should bargain, but dont go so low that youll insult the seller. If
something is marked $185, its probably not ideal to offer $50, Flynn says.
One option is to negotiate for a 25- to 35-percent discount.
And do bring cash. Mom and pop dealers dont have the luxury of taking
credit cards due to the charges acquired, Flynn says. If you bring enough
cash with you, youre more likely to be able to negotiate successfully.
PERSONAL TASTE
Above all, choose items that delight you. I never focus on eras or hunt for
specifc designers, Kleinhelter says. Pick what you like.
And be open to serendipity. When Im looking for furniture, I always
stumble across a good vintage jewelry or clothing vendor and end up with a
fun bauble of a bracelet or necklace, Rummerfeld says. Prices are usually
so reasonable, you come away with a good amount of loot. It is always a day
well spent. a
By Alison Buehler | alison.buehler@ggsim.org
M
ississippi is infamous for its humid climate. The
state receives, on average, 53 inches of rain
per year. During just an inch of rainfall, 1,743
gallons of water can be collected from an average roof.
That is a lot of water for your garden and potted plants,
even if you catch only part of it.
Why bother catching and storing rain? While we
do receive a lot of rain in Mississippi, it doesnt come
evenly. Most of our rainfall occurs in winter, when
our gardens need it the least, and our summers are
notorious for long dry spells.
Here at the Mississippi Modern Homestead Center
in Starkville, the most important reason we catch
rainwater is that our gardens prefer it. City water is
chlorinated, which kills the benefcial organisms we
work so hard to get into our soil. Rainwater is free from
chemicals that slow the growth of our plants. Every
gardener knows gardens look radiant after a shower.
Rain barrels make this possible almost all year.
Catching rain also helps keep our storm drains from
being overwhelmed during big storms. If everyone in
a city had a 50-gallon rain barrel, it would prevent a
signifcant amount of water from running down our
streets, collecting pollutants and carrying them into our
streams. If you like fshing, you really should look into
utilizing rain barrels.
Rain barrels are also a practical, low cost
alternative to plumbing for outbuildings and irrigation
systems. The Homestead has a greenhouse that isnt
plumbed for water. We installed a 75-gallon rain
barrel right outside. Running a hose from the end of
the barrel, through a small hole in the wall, provided a
water source for a sink. For a garden that no hose can
reach, we added an inexpensive gutter and downspout
to a nearby pool shed and installed a rain barrel. A
hose connected to the bottom of the barrel connects to
a drip irrigation tape that runs through the fowerbed.
We never water that bed.
How much water could you catch? That only
depends on the number of rain barrels you have. Our
good friend at High Hope Farms in Clay County, Johnny
Wray, lined up eight rain barrels beside his garden shed.
One overfows into the next. From a 4-by-8-foot shed,
he collects enough water to take care of one of the most
enviable kitchen gardens in the area. The Homesteads
barrels collect more than 1,400 gallons of water each
time it rains.
To construct your own rain barrel, simply place a
watertight barrel under a gutters downspout. Cover the
surface with a fne mesh screen to keep out debris and
discourage mosquitos from laying eggs and congregating
around the barrel. Thats it! Weve bought barrels from
the local co-op for about $30 each, and weve salvaged
old chemical containers from behind businesses. Be sure
to ask permission before taking them.
At the Homestead, we provide real life examples
and hands-on demonstrations for living self-suffciently
like our grandparents did, but with a modern twist. Rain
barrels are one of our favorite topics and we would love
to show you how easy it is. You are welcome to bring
your group out for a tour! a
(above) Meredith Liedy uses the barrel fed sink in the greenhouse at Mississippi Modern Homestead Center in Starkville.
Liedy, a native of Tallahassee, Fla., is a Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (wwoofusa.org) intern working at the
Homestead this summer. (right) Rain water runoff from a small pool shed maintains a small garden of Shasta daisies and
roses. | Mary Alice Weeks
Rain barrels for Southern gardens
10 SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 acdispatch.com HOME & GARDEN GUIDE HOME & GARDEN GUIDE adispatch.com SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 11
Rainwater collection an ideal solution for drought prone Southeast gardens
Alison Buehler and her husband Mike are the owners
of Mississippi Modern Homestead Center in Starkville
| msmodernhomestead.com
10 SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 acdispatch.com HOME & GARDEN GUIDE HOME & GARDEN GUIDE adispatch.com SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 11
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By Lee Reich | For The Associated Press
T
o get the most out of any organic
fertilizer, keep in mind how plants
feed and how these fertilizers act
in the soil.
The bulk of a plants feeder roots
whether its a midget marigold or
a mighty oak lie just beneath the
surface, so generally there is no need to
dig fertilizer deep into the soil. Anyway,
low oxygen levels there would retard
microbial growth, which is necessary
to unlock nutrients from most organic
fertilizers.
TO DIG OR NOT TO DIG
An exception to that no dig rule
is when phosphorus levels are low, as
indicated by a soil test or stunted plants
that are purplish when young or late to
ripen. (Cold soil in spring also can cause
a phosphorus defciency, a temporary
one that abates as soon as soil warms
and roots start reaching out.) Phosphorus
moves very slowly in the soil, so the only
way to get it quickly into the root zone
is to mix it into the top 6 to 12 inches of
soil.
Once a soil is up to snuff with phos-
phorus, periodic surface applications can
trickle down through the soil fast enough
to maintain adequate levels throughout
the root zone.
TIME YOUR FEEDING
When should you apply organic fertil-
izers? Remember that the nutrients in
most of them are initially insoluble and
in forms that plants cannot use. Account
for the time lag between application and
nutrient release by spreading organic
fertilizers a few weeks before planting.
Even a few months before planting, or
way back late last fall.
Because soil microorganisms need
time, warmth and moisture to release nu-
trients from organic fertilizers, plants may
have to wait to eat in dry soil. Of course,
plants grow but little in dry soil, so their
fertilizer needs are less. In this case, wa-
tering not only quenches a plants thirst,
but also makes food available.
Occasionally, you may have to tailor
your fertilizer to special conditions. For
instance, a spell of unseasonably cool
weather in spring slows microbial activ-
ity. If you must spur plant growth then,
apply a light application of some soluble
organic fertilizer whose nutrients are
quickly available blood meal or fsh
emulsion, for example.
A quick-acting fertilizer might also be
needed when a plant is so hungry that
it actually shows symptoms of starva-
tion, such as yellowing, older leaves.
Leaves can absorb nutrients directly,
and for a really quick effect, you could
spray a soluble organic fertilizer such as
seaweed extract or fsh emulsion right
on leaves. Avoid plant injury by reading
label directions and following specifed
rates carefully.
Consider using quick-acting fertilizers
as quick fxes only. Build up good re-
serves of nutrients in your soil and such
applications will be unnecessary.
Consider the slow action of organic fertil-
izers as a beneft. You only need to apply
them once a year and, because heat and
warmth spur microbial activity and plant
growth, the nutrients are released in sync
with plant needs.
SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY
As I point out in the fertilizer sec-
tion of my book Weedless Gardening
(Workman Publishing), spreading an inch
of compost or a few inches of leaves,
wood chips or some other organic mulch
over the ground each year will usually
provide all the nourishment your plants
need.
The hungriest parts of the garden
are vegetable and formal fowerbeds,
so I like to feed the ground there with
compost, which is an organic material
relatively rich in nutrients. Less needy
are trees and shrubs, informal fow-
ers and wildfowers; here, any organic
mulch, from wood ships to straw to pine
needles, will suffce. Over the years,
the compost or other organic mulches
will enrich the soil to offer a spectrum
of nutrients available to plants, a much
wider spectrum that would be available
from any chemical fertilizer.
In naturally poor soils, some ad-
ditional, more concentrated, nitrogen
fertilizer might just might also be
needed for a year or more until the soil
is up to snuff. Soybean meal or alfalfa
meal is usually sold as an animal feed,
but sprinkled over the ground just before
some organic mulch is applied its a con-
venient, nourishing and organic feed
for plants also. Apply a couple of pounds
per hundred square feet. a
Eating organic: Plants like it too
12 SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 acdispatch.com HOME & GARDEN GUIDE HOME & GARDEN GUIDE acdispatch.com SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 13
AP Photo 2014
Lee Reich is the author of Weedless
Gardening (Workman, 2001) |
leereich.com
12 SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 acdispatch.com HOME & GARDEN GUIDE HOME & GARDEN GUIDE acdispatch.com SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 13
JOYS
F l owe rs
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Military Hardware
1002 N. 13th St Columbus 662-328-8073
Mon - Fri 7-5 Sat. 7-12 Closed Sunday
Specializing in

Fresh Cut Flowers

Funerals

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Custom Wreaths
We have all your Lawn & Garden
Tools - Lawn Care Products - Supplies - Fertilizers
662- 327- 2775 j oyf l owers@bel l sout h. net
www.msgraniteguys.com | 662.329.8687
The Granite Guys
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Southern Awning & Construction
Serving the Columbus Area since 1971 Free Estimates Residential & Commercial
The Dispatch
14 SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 acdispatch.com HOME & GARDEN GUIDE HOME & GARDEN GUIDE adispatch.com SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 15
Bee nice! Bee-friendly gardens can help struggling species
By Dean Fosdick | For the Associated Press
B
ees are pulling a disappearing act. Honeybees are
vanishing from their hives. Bumblebee numbers
have crashed so radically that some species are
believed extinct. Even native solitary bees are in decline.
Food supplies dependent upon pollinators are threatened.
But gardeners can help.
There is no single explanation for what is causing the
pollinator losses, said Matt ONeal, an associate profes-
sor of entomology at Iowa State University.
There are multiple sources of stress, he says.
There are your basic pests, also pathogens like viruses,
pesticide exposure and land use practices reducing the
kinds of forages bees can feed on. It looks like a combi-
nation of all those.
As insect pollinators, bees broaden our diets beyond
meats and wind-pollinated grains. An estimated one-
third of all foods and beverages are made possible by
pollination, mainly by honeybees, the U.S. Department
of Agriculture says. Pollinators also are essential for fow-
ering plants and entire plant communities.
Common species are disappearing at a dramatic
rate. Im terrifed in the extreme, says Mace Vaughan,
pollinator program director with The Xerces Society for
Invertebrate Conservation in Portland, Ore. I worry in
particular about pollinator species with limited ranges
and that have unique habitat requirements that are be-
ing threatened. A lot of species are dropping out of the
landscape.
You dont have to become a beekeeper to restore or
boost bee populations. Gardeners can:
Plant fowers and create green spaces, especially in ur-
ban areas. Leave patches of bare soil, rocks and brush
piles for use by ground-dwelling native bees. Add
caterpillar host plants. I cant recommend particular
plants for all areas of the country but I can recom-
mend the concept, ONeal says. Provide pollen and
nectar throughout the (growing) season. Plant the right
habitat. Every state has land grant agencies and agents.
Look to them for help.
Install bee hotels around the yard by drilling holes in
wood blocks and creating reed or bamboo bundles.
They provide instant habitat and can be built on the
cheap. Another thing you can do is plant woody
plants (elderberries, raspberries, sumac) with branches
that have soft insides, Vaughan says. Grow these
shrubs up and then cut them back to expose the stems.
Carpenter and mason bees will nest in them.
Eliminate or change the way you apply pesticides.
Dont use them on plants that are blooming. Apply
them at night when bees are less active. Spray from
ground level to reduce drift, and create buffer zones
next to agricultural areas. Rethink the use of herbi-
cides, which reduce pollinator food sources by remov-
ing fowers from the landscape.
Add signage to advertise the presence of pollinators.
Bees often range several miles from their hives or
nests. Place pollinator habitat signs around pastures,
community gardens, city parks, bike trails or suburban
yards to promote conservation.

What it comes down to is providing at least two im-
portant things, Vaughan said: Plant wildfowers that
provide a high succession of bloom. Have home gardens
free of chemicals. Get into natural gardening. a

Recommended reading: Attracting Native Pollinators:
Protecting North Americas Bees and Butterfies
(Storey Press, 2011)
For more information about creating bee sanctuaries
in your yard visit: bringbackthepollinators.org

Contact Dean Fosdick at deanfosdick@netscape.net
14 SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 acdispatch.com HOME & GARDEN GUIDE HOME & GARDEN GUIDE adispatch.com SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 15
Garden Treasures 2-Piece Hidden River
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Audrey McBride, ABR, GRI Broker/Owner
100 Iris Lane Starkville, MS 39759
Direct: 662-341-1000 Fax: 662-324-5952
audrey@audreymcbride.com
mcbrideandco.com audreymcbride.com
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901 Alabama St. Columbus, MS 662-329-2281
Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Saturday 7:30 a.m.-Noon
Browns Farm
& Garden Supply
The Dispatch
All Your Spring & Summer Essentials!
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Photo for illustration purposes only.
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Hamilton, MS 662.343.5391 www.evansplumbingandac.com
Call us today for a free estimate on making your home
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16 SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2014 acdispatch.com HOME & GARDEN GUIDE