Backyard Ponderings

Day 3 of the 2009 backyard makeover

by Lisa Burns on 03/18/10

It's day three of the makeover & the yard is really starting to take shape. We now have a beautiful arbor & paver patio with retaining wall seating that is perfect for a cozy firepit & of course the pond is starting to take shape. Thanks to Michelle Donner Photography spending three hours in that nasty sun yesterday we get to show you a sneak peak into the backyard.

Dave left at 5:30 this morning to beat the heat & to get a head start on today's installations. It's going to be a busy day... Historic Shed will be transporting

the made to order potting shed all the way from Brooksville. Hydro-Taste farms will be installing the HydroStacker gardens, Dave & David with the help of a couple of volunteers will finish up the pond & lay the walkway, Laurie & Roger will be on hand to plant the Plumeria trees they donated & Florida Native Plants inc will be bringing out a truck load of plants for us to plant tomorrow. Thanks also to Roger Gaille for coming out to help. He said he saw Dave, David & their one volunteer yesterday on Bay News 9 & decided to help out. Roger & his wife Laurie are with the Plumeria Society & have donated Plumeria trees to the makeover. In case you didn’t hear Dave & the Patoray’s are now famous Bay News 9 visited the site on Wednesday & taped a segment which ran all day yesterday once every hour. Any one who would like to lend a hand on our last day tomorrow with the planting please feel free to contact Lisa at: backyardgetaway@verizon.net.

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2009 Backyard Makeover updates

by Lisa Burns on 03/18/10

It’s hard to believe two weeks have gone by since the Backyard Makeover voting has ended & the winners were chosen. You probably think it’s been a quiet two weeks after all that craziness of the voting frenzy. In fact the opposite is true, we’ve have been busy organizing, scheduling, ordering & meeting with the winners, contributing business members & local reporters. So busy in fact that I am writing this during the only free time I’ve had this week, as we drive to Orlando to pick up some of the donated goodies & to attend a landscape trade show. We thought it was time to give everyone an update as to what happens next.

First we didn’t want the 10 finalist to go home empty handed so we asked all of the participating businesses to help us fill a packet with coupons & freebies that we will be sending out to them on Monday. We also gave the second place yard, Michelle #5, a $50 gift certificate for Backyard Getaway & the third place yard, Derek #8, received a gift certificate to Bone Appetite. In case you aren’t familiar with Bone Appetite it’s a local pet boutique that carries all natural pet foods & treats & some of the cutest accessories.

The makeover officially begins Monday with a visit form Sunshine Dig. Sunshine Dig is a non profit that offers a free service to homeowners & contractors. Before you dig in your yard they will schedule all the utility companies to come out & check for underground wires, cables, plumbing, etc. Joey, our winner, found out the hard way the other day & cut through their cable wire while trying to remove a stump. Shame on you Joey, you should have called “811”. Don’t worry we know you were just trying to make the yard pretty for us.

Just like any project this one had a couple of hiccups. One of our original contributing businesses will not be able to contribute. I panicked for about a minute then after a few quick phone calls we were back on track. There truly are some amazing business owners in our area. Two companies came forward to help knowing that they would not reap the benefit of all the advertising & promoting we had been doing over the last couple of months. Trucking Southern Style agreed to supply us with the ground cover items we lost & Ruck Brick/OldCastleCoastal will be supplying the flagstone for the walkways Dave will install. Please visit www.whatabackyard.com click on the local contributors link & view the info about these companies. Another concern we had was due to a mistaken assumption on my part. I didn’t realize that the shade sail did not come with it’s support post. I was told that I would need to get 4” schedule 40 galvanized pipe at 16’ long. Where was I going to find that! I called Brad at All phases Welding (one of our contributors) & he stepped up & offered to donated them too.

On Tuesday we will lay out the yard marking where each feature will be installed. Wednesday will be the day we break ground. Digging for the pond & setting footers for the arbor & shade sail. Thursday & Friday will be very busy days with installation of the pond, arbor, shade sail, shed, hydroponics, landscape lighting, paver patio and walkways, all while being followed by our videographer & photographer. Oh, almost forgot there will be a couple of other surprises Dave has up his sleeve. Don’t worry Joey & Heather, there won’t be any mini grills, ponds or sheds.

Friday afternoon Joey & Heather will be sent away to the Best Western Midtown to spend a relaxing night & to keep them from seeing the finishing touches that we will be installing on Saturday. They will return home Saturday evening to their new $16,000 Ultimate Backyard Makeover & we will be off planning our next project. I think a party at the Patoray’s sounds like more fun!

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Love a local business

by Lisa Burns on 03/18/10

Support Backyard Getaway in the 2009 StartupNation Home-Based Business Competition

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What the flock?

by Lisa Burns on 03/18/10

We came home to a very unusual sight last night. It seems we had been flocked. A flock of pink Flamingos had mysteriously migrated to our yard. Ok, maybe not so mysteriously. Our new friends & backyard makeover contest winners, Joey & Heather, thought it would be a fun way to say thank you for the contest. I think they were very brave, since we will be taking over their backyard in a couple of weeks. Evidently you can flock any one in Manatee county just by calling the Palm View First Baptist Youth Group. The youth group will deliver & pick up the flock for a nominal donation of only $20. This has to be the most unique way I have ever seen for a youth group to raise money for their church. I can't think of a better way to say Happy Birthday or congratulations or in our case thank you. Of course, the person being flocked never has to know who flocked them. Flock someone you love today by calling Palm View First Baptist at 941-722-5077.

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2009 $16000, Ultimate Backyard Makeover Winners!

by Lisa Burns on 03/18/10

Congratulations to Heather & Joey Patoray they are the winners of our $16,000 Ultimate Backyard Makeover Contest. Joey & Heather are so excited & are extremely greatful for all the votes they received during the contest. The actual makeover will take place the second week in October. Visit www.whatabackyard.com to see updates & photos of the work in progress.

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Gardening Green

by Lisa Burns on 03/18/10

It seems simple, plant a garden & your helping the environment. The truth is what you plant will determine how much you will need to water, fertilize & spray for pests. It is important to know how your landscape & gardening practices can have both positive & negative effects on Florida's environment. Below are several sustainable gardening tips you can adopt that will help you conserve & protect our natural resources.

Mulching

Mulch helps to keep water in the soil rather than evaporating into the air, which will cut down on watering needs. As mulch breaks down, it will provide nutrients to the soil, which can help reduce the need for fertilizing. Make sure you use mulches that are from sustainable forestry practices like Melaleuca Mulch, not Cyprus mulch. Melaleuca or Punk Tree is an invasive tree in Florida.

Reducing Lawn Areas

This is my favorite tip! Lawns require frequent maintenance… mowing, fertilizing & chemicals to kill weeds & pests. Planting native wildflowers, bushes & trees to replace lawn areas will reduce the need to mow. Gas lawnmowers produce greenhouse gases, which contribute to the air pollution that causes global warming. Or better yet add a water garden to replace the lawn area. A pond provides food, water & cover for wildlife & plants. Having native plants in your garden will help you to maintain a healthy, natural ecosystems and reduces your time and labor working on the lawn leaving you more time to enjoy it.!

Xeriscaping

Xeriscaping is an approach to landscaping that minimizes outdoor watering while maintaining soil integrity through the use of native, drought-tolerant plants. With our current watering restrictions this is the best way to have a beautiful yard without the need for daily watering.

Removing Invasive Plants

When exotic or non-native plants are used, they can upset the delicate balance of a local ecosystem and sometimes will push out native plants to the point of extinction. Wildlife benefit when native plant communities are restored to their natural habitats, providing the best source of food for wildlife. Non-native plants will also require more work than native plants.

Water Conservation

To conserve water you should water, only on your designated day, with a soaker hose or a drip irrigation system. You will have less water evaporation than you would with a sprinkler, and it will provide targeted watering. Also, you should use a timing device with your watering system. Another great way to conserve water is to install a rain barrel that catches rainfall from your roof. The collected water can be used to water your garden.

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Floating Salad Bar

by Lisa Burns on 03/18/10

Have you ever thought about growing your own veggie & herb garden but decided against it because you thought it would be too much work or you wouldn't have time to care for it? Aquatic gardening is just the answer. Aquatic plants are some of the easiest plants to grow & just think, you never have to water them. A pond or water garden can be more than just a habitat for wildlife, Koi & beautiful Water Lilies, it can be a floating salad bar too. I'm sure you are familiar with Water lilies & Lotus but did you know that there are over two dozen different aquatic plants that are edible including the Lotus!

Following is just a few of both some common & exotic aquatics that will not only add beauty to your water garden but can be useful as well. Please remember if you are going to eat plants from your pond that you do not add algaecides or other chemicals to the pond water. Yuch!

We'll start with the Lotus (Nelumbo sp).This plant is almost entirely edible from the seeds to the tubers. The Tubers are the "root" of the plant & are similar to sweet potatoes. The seeds have a nutty flavor to them & can be eaten peeled or whole. In Japan there is a traditional Lotus ceremony where wine is drank from the hollow stem of a lotus flower.

A couple of common or more well know aquatic plants are Taro(Colocasia spp.) & Water Chestnut (Eleoricharis spp.). Go to any health food store & you will find Taro chips. Of course if you go to a Chinese restaurant they will have water chestnut in many of their dishes. How about Wasabi, yes it's an aquatic. Water Cress (Nasturtium officinale) & Bog Cranberry (Oxycoccus) also aquatics, can be found in your grocery store.

A few of my favorites bog plants are Aquatic mint, Water Celery & Lemon Bacopa. Aquatic mint is very similar to the mint you grow in your herb garden but with a different root system. The leaves can be added to cake, ice cream & of course mint juleps. Boy does it smell good! Water Celery (Oenanthe javanica) is a bit different. The leaves of this small plant are beautiful changing from green to pink & add a peppery taste to a salad. Lemon Bacopa (Bacopa caroliniana) is used as a seasoning & you guessed it, it has a lemony taste to it.

A Cattail (Typha latifolia) is probably not a plant you would think about eating, but believe it or not all of it is edible. The pollen, shoots, hearts, young spike heads & seeds can all be cooked & eaten. How about Duckweed (Lemna minor)? The small floating plant you see covering the surface of many natural lakes & ponds, it is a perfect garnish on a salad.

Some aquatics are even used for medicinal purposes like the Marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis). It is used as a cough suppressant, immune system booster & as a wound healant. Pennywort (Hydrocotyle spp.) is used for arthritis relief.

I could go on & on but I'm starting to get hungry. I think I'll go out & have a snack, maybe a couple of Odorata Water Lily flowers & some mint tea, yummy!

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We're in the news...

by Lisa Burns on 03/18/10

Check out the latest issue of Watergardeners e-magazine from Microble-lift. The front cover photo is our home pond. There are several pictures through out the magazine of ponds that were on our pond tour this past may!http://microbelift.com/uploadme/93MLSprSum.Mag.LoRes.pdf

We also have a two page feature article in the 2009 Water Gardens from Country Decorating of an above ground pond that Dave created in Sarasota

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Garden like an Eqyptian or an Italian or...

by Lisa Burns on 03/18/10

Most people, when looking for inspiration for their water garden, think of Koi & Japanese Gardens. You may be surprised to find that the Japanese were not the first culture to keep water in their garden. In fact there are many very diverse cultures that influence today’s water gardens.

The earliest depictions of a planned water garden actually dates back around 4000 years. Egyptians would plant their gardens inside the walls that surrounded their homes. Ancient records show hieroglyphics & paintings of formal water gardens, rectangular in shape, filled with fish, ducks & lotuses & surrounded by fruit trees, ornamental plants, & date palms. The Lotus was believed to be a symbol of the sun, to them, it represented creation and rebirth because it would close at night & re-open in the day.

One of the seven wonders of the ancient world is the Hanging Gardens of Babylon created by Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife. These formal Persian walled gardens with their pools & irrigation canals symbolized paradise in an otherwise hot & arid climate. There were rooftop & terrace gardens & fountains to cool the area. Water was brought to the top of the artificial mountain from the river below with a system of buckets, pulleys & pumps & men to power the system.

In the hills of northern Italy is the Villa d’ Este palace. This 16th Century garden is dedicated to water features of all sizes. The neatest fountain at the palace is called the Organ fountain. The organ’s pipes which are hidden under the water actually play music. Everything there is turned into a water feature from cement statues to stairs with rivulets. Another 16th Century garden is the Villa Medici which is very similar to the Babylon gardens. Unlike the Persian gardens, the Italian garden is on a hillside making it much easier for the water to flow over the waterfalls.

Many Roman gardens where built in conjunction with the public baths giving them a serene spot to meditate.

Moorish gardens from the 13th to the 16th century in Spain were primarily created with water, fruit trees & shade. The pools with ornate tiles & spouting fountains would be the center piece of the courtyard garden surrounded by shade trees & colorful plantings.

For 2500 years classic Chinese gardens have contained one or more ponds along with pavilions, bridges & bright colored flowers. These peaceful gardens are usually surrounded by white walls with a fancy gate or doorway. The Chinese use four elements in their gardens, water, plants, rocks & architecture, they believe that the garden symbolizes a living organism with the rocks being the bones, the water is the blood & the plants are the dressing. Chinese gardens are meant to bring balance, soothe the spirit & be spiritually uplifting.

Japanese gardens may be famous for their beautiful graceful Koi ponds but they draw inspiration from the Chinese gardens. A Japanese garden is a reflection of a larger natural landscape. Although water is a very important element in Japanese garden along with manicured shrubs, stone & moss it doesn’t necessarily have to be literal, as in a Koi pond, stream & small basin. Water can be simply represented by a dry stream or raked bed of pebbles surrounding a large boulder.

With varying tastes & styles, modern American gardens use elements of historic gardens from all over the world. The gardens of Europe being the biggest influence on North American water gardens. If you ask me a garden isn’t a garden without water.

"Of all the elements, the Sage should take water as his preceptor. Water is yielding but all-conquering. Water extinguishes Fire or, finding itself likely to be defeated, escapes as steam and reforms. Water washes away soft Earth or, when confronted by rocks, seeks a way around. . . It saturates the atmosphere so that Wind dies. Water gives way to obstacles with deceptive humility, for no power can prevent it following its destined course to the sea. Water conquers by yielding; it never attacks but always wins the last battle." (John Blofeld's The Wheel of Life)

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Here Fishy, Fishy...

by Lisa Burns on 03/18/10

Here fishy, fishy, fishy…

One of best things about having a pond is watching our graceful Koi gliding in the water. I’ll leave the technical stuff to the text books, but in case you are not familiar, Koi are in the Carp family. There are hundreds of categories of Koi & they come in so many different colors & patterns, but we‘ll talk about that another time. Today I want to talk about feeding Koi & goldfish in your pond. Every day I receive calls or emails from my customers asking me when to feed, how much to feed, how many times a day they should feed & what to feed. Search for Koi feeding on the internet & you will get many different answers to these questions. If you look on the Koi food package or check the manufacturer’s website you will find they tell you to feed 3 to 5 times a day. Of course, we all know they are trying to sell you more food. The best rule of thumb is to feed your Koi in warm weather only once or twice a day only what they can eat in three minutes time. Any more than that & you will be feeding the waste in your pond making it hard to keep your filters clean & your pond healthy. Truthfully, you could easily go two weeks or more without actually feeding them. Koi are bottom feeders by nature & will eat the algae & muck from the bottom or sides of your pond helping to keep it clean. If you have a problem with algae or muck built up on the bottom of the pond then you are feeding too much! I can here some of my pond buddies groaning right now “but I love to feed my fish“. I have a solution for you, try substituting fresh fruits & veggies for Koi pellets a couple days a week. Our Koi go crazy for watermelon & bananas. Sounds strange doesn’t it? We also feed them Zucchini & frozen peas. If it’s good for you then it’s good for your Koi babies. Plus this is a great way to use up those over ripe fruits & veggies that you hate to throw away.

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