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Saturday, June 20, 2015An Advertising Feature of

The Topeka Capital-Journal

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Jamie Hancock Garden Column – 2Topeka daylily club flower show and photo contest – 3

A community helping a community – 42015 Pond Tour: A Pond to Remember – 6

2 | Saturday, June 20, 2015 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | At Home

If Bermuda grass doesn’t sound tropi-cal I don’t know what does. And, if it is tropical, what is it doing growing in Kan-sas? Good question. Basically the answer is, because it can. North eastern Kansas is in the unique position of the transition between northern and southern zones (5 and 7). So what does that mean? This is another good question.

The United States and Canada are di-vided into zones designated as plant har-diness zones. This means that someone somewhere has determined the average low temperature in areas across these na-tions and has charted them on a Hardiness Zone map. There are 10 basic zones with the coldest in Canada designated as Zone 1 and the warmest in southern Florida as Zone 10. Plants that will survive the aver-age cold temperatures in a zone without extra protection are considered “hardy” to that zone. This is helpful information when purchasing plants. We want to be sure that the plant we select will survive in our area. Plant tags and catalogs will state what zone the plant is hardy to.

Turf is no exception to the hardiness zones. Certain varieties of warm season grasses such as Bermuda will grow and survive in north eastern Kansas very well. We more typically grow cool season grass-es such as Bluegrass and fescues.

Cool season grasses green up early in the spring when temperatures are 55-65 degrees and usually remain green until soil temperatures exceed 77 degrees (cur-rently 4 inches down we have soil temper-atures of 70+ degrees). They survive the heat by going dormant and revive again when temperatures cool in the fall. Warm season grasses, like Bermuda, are dormant in early spring and fall but come alive in the heat of summer.

At first glance, this would seem like the ideal turf combination, unfortunately, the texture and look of these grasses are so different they do not show well together. So here is where the choice is made. I have written about fescues and now I have a few things to say about Bermudas.

Bermuda grassThe varieties that Kansas State Research

and Extension has found to be cold hardy in our zones (6a and 6b) are (seed types) Riviera and Yukon, and (from sprigs or sod) Midlawn, Midiron, and Patriot. “Ber-muda is a durable, heat and drought re-sistant grass that requires less water than most other grasses,” according to Steve Keeley, K-State Assistant Professor in Turfgrass. It is comparable to buffalo grass in these characteristics but, requires more fertilizer and mowing than buffalo grass.

Bermuda has a vigorous root system, tolerates a wide range of soil types, and is highly durable for wear. Because it is quick to repair itself it makes a great sports field grass. Grow Bermuda grass in full sun or just a few hours of shade. It is not deep shade tolerant. It spreads by un-derground runners called rhizomes and above ground runners called stolons. This makes it a good hot, south-facing slope

HANCOCK continues on 3A

The tropical grass of summer

A Note FromThe Gardener

[email protected]

Jamie Hancock

At Home | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, June 20, 2015 | 3

stabilization turf. It is difficult to keep out of flower beds and gardens because of its aggressive growth habit.

Bermuda grass can be mowed anywhere from ½ inch to 2 inches in height depend-ing on the maintenance level you wish to keep. When mowed twice a week at 1 inch with a reel mower Bermuda grass forms a dense and even turf. Mowing at 2 inches results in less maintenance, requiring mowing only once every 10 days or so. Higher turf does not need as much water and will have fewer weeds. Use a rotary mower when mowing higher than 1 inch.

Water Bermuda grass less often than fescues but, not on a calendar basis. Moni-tor the turf and the soil. Water when it is hot and dry, watching for signs of wilting. The onset of wilting is accompanied by a change in turf color to a bluish-gray. Soak the turf to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Avoid light, frequent watering to prevent shal-low rooting.

Fertilizer should be applied May through August. To avoid excessive growth apply only 1 pound of nitrogen fer-tilizer per 1,000 square feet of lawn. A soil analysis will tell you what type and nutri-ents to apply.

Weeds are generally not a problem in Bermuda lawns, but weed invasions can happen in early spring and late fall. Bermu-da is still dormant and unable to compete with the weeds. Dandelion, chickweed, and henbit are the major weed issues. It is best to control these weeds in the fall when they are young. They are also winter annuals and will die in the summer with the heat.

Insect problems are generally not asso-ciated with Bermuda grass.

If our heat and humidity don’t make you feel tropical enough, plant a warm season grass and enjoy a cool drink with a tiny umbrella in it.

Jamie Hancock is a horticulturist with Kansas State Research and Extension in Shawnee County.

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Hancock: Water less often TOPEKA DAYLILY CLUB FLOWER SHOW AND PHOTO CONTEST

Date: Saturday, June 27thTime: 1 - 5 p.m.Fee: Free to publicLocation: Inside Fairlawn Plaza MallDetails on entering the photo contest please contact the Topeka Art Guild inside Fairlawn Plaza Mall 273-7646Judging for both the flower show and photo contest will be judged before the 1 p.m. opening. Ribbons will be awarded by judges, and the public can vote for their favorite daylily and photo.


By Angela DeinesSpecial to The Capital-Journal

Although heavy rains in northeast Kan-sas threw the proverbial wrench into the Topeka Habitat for Humanity’s “Women Build” spring 2015 exterior work projects, at least one homeowner was able to reap the benefits of several generous women.

“I was looking forward to doing land-scaping,” said Barbara Collins, a first-time Women Build volunteer who recently helped to paint the interior of a home at 1104 S.E. Lawrence in east Topeka. “I like working outside and making the out-side look pretty but there’s no way we’ll trounce through the mud today to make it look pretty.”

Several homes in Topeka’s Hi-Crest area were scheduled in May to get makeovers as part of the Women Build spring pro-gram, the same east Topeka neighborhood where volunteers worked to improve the exterior and yards of three homes in Oc-tober. Another system of thunderstorms made it impossible to do any landscaping or outside painting projects during the

June 5 rain date.Nikki MacMillan, volunteer and media

coordinator for Topeka Habitat for Hu-manity, said the Hi-Crest houses slated for improvements this spring will still get their makeovers sometime this summer when the weather cooperates.

“We have committed to the work on three homes in Hi-Crest so we will need volunteer support to complete them this summer,” she said, adding, however, that the projects won’t technically be part of the Women Build initiative.

Armed with a paint brush instead of a shovel, Collins said she’s just glad to be able to help someone less fortunate.

“What goes around, comes around,” she said. “I’m helping somebody today. Maybe in a couple of years I may need some help. I think we’re all happy to do what we can.”

Also helping to paint the inside of the east Topeka home recently, Madi-son Jacques, 13, an eighth-grade student at Jardine Middle School, said Habitat’s MacMillan, a friend of her mother’s, has inspired her to want to help other families

COMMUNITY continues on 5A

A community helping a community

Rex WOlf/SpeCIAl TO The CApITAl-JOURNAl

Staff members from Lowe’s Home Improvement store in Topeka and volunteers recently helped paint the interior of a home at 1104 S.E. Lawrence as part of Topeka Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build event. The annual project is aimed at women help-ing other women improve the safety and aesthetics of their homes in order to be able to live in their homes longer and provide stability for their families. Lowe’s is a national sponsor of Habitat for Humanity Women Build projects.


in Topeka. “Nikki tells me all the time about the

people she helps and that she helps people like single moms with kids who can’t get a house for them and their children,” she said. “It’s nice to know that they’ll have a nice home to live in once we’re finished painting.”

Norma VanCleave, a 17-year employee of Lowe’s Home Improvement, in Topeka, said she’s helped with Women Build proj-ects for at least the past five years. Beyond her job as a receiving clerk with Lowe’s, the ability to help women who are strug-gling to provide for their families is im-portant to her.

“They’re barely surviving, just trying to take care of their families,” VanCleave said. “Any little bit helps. It’s a rewarding feeling to step back and say, ‘I helped with that. I helped a family in need.’ It’s a good feeling. It’s a real good feeling.”

Lowe’s is the national sponsor for Wom-en Build projects. Christina Domnanish, manager of the Topeka Lowe’s store, said she has participated in Women Build proj-ects in Nebraska and Arkansas but said

this year is her first participating in the capital city.

“It’s really nice to be able to help out the community,” Domnanish said. “All of the Habitat Women’s Build helps everybody in the community, whether it’s sprucing things up or helping people get into their first homes. It’s just an overall nice feeling knowing you’re affecting somebody’s life. That’s why I do it.”

Domnanish said the feeling of seeing a homeowner’s reaction after her home has been improved is overwhelming but re-warding.

“It’s hard to explain,” she said. “I’ve done a couple of ‘builds’ and it’s really fulfilling. You want to cry when you’re done.”

Another Women Build “first-timer”, Lori Steelman said helping one family feel more secure in their home helps the com-munity as a whole.

“If a family gets to move into a residence that’s freshly painted and stable,” she said, “then our community is better. In just a few hours, you make a difference. You get out of it what you put into it.”

Steelman said knowing she’s part of making another woman’s life better is a bonus.

“There are a lot of single women out there that are working all the time that can’t really get their heads above water enough to get into a home,” she said. “Be-ing able to give them that opportunity – a young mother, single women, elderly women, someone that truly needs help. That makes a difference for me that it’s Women’s Build.”

For Norella Munoz, also a first-time volunteer for Topeka’s Women Build, is taking a break from school for the sum-mer and thought she would help a family in need.

“To be able to get together with a group of women and at the end of the day, have something you can look at and say, ‘oh, my gosh, I did that.’ I was able to make this a nice home for someone. I just think that’s amazing.”

Munoz said even a coat of fresh, white paint can make a “world of difference” in transforming a family’s home.

“Already we’ve been here an hour and I can see this place looking brighter, look-ing nicer,” she said. “Yeah, painting is very underrated.”

For more information about Topeka’s Women Build or for Habitat for Humanity

volunteer opportunities, call 785-234-4322 or go to www.topekahabitat.org.

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Rex Wolf/SpeciAl to the cApitAl-JouRnAl

Laurie Steelman volunteers her time and paints a bathroom.

Community: Volunteers helping families in need


By Linda A. DitchSpecial to The Capital-Journal

Approximately 10 years ago, Mike Reb, installed a small pond kit for his wife, Kathy’s, birthday at their North Topeka home. It had three small tiers cascading alongside the steps leading down from the deck into a small pond. His plan was to eventually expand the pond as a place to be enjoyed by both the family and the backyard wildlife.

Unfortunately, Mike’s plans were thwarted by cancer, which took his life in 2010. For Kathy’s next birthday, son Mi-chael and daughter Anna decided to fulfill their dad’s dream as a memorial to him. The finished result is stop number six on this year’s 24th Annual Topeka Area Pond Tour, which takes place Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28.

To expand the pond, Anna and Michael laid out a garden hose in the shape they wanted and then dug the entire addition by hand. No heavy machinery. Just shov-els. It took them three weeks to complete.

“I got a new shovel out of the deal,” Mi-chael said, with a smile. “They know my

tendency to break things, so I got a new steel shovel that wouldn’t break.”

Kathy said, “I had a part of Mike with this, and now I have a part of them as well. But I thought at the time, ‘You don’t know what you’re getting into.’ I’m really proud of these two. Words can’t describe it. I know Mike would be proud of them, too.”

The three-tiered waterfall now trick-les along a small, rocky brook into a pond filled with goldfish. Plants line the water’s path, some coming from other parts of the yard, and others from their grandmother’s yard and those of friends and neighbors. A replica alligator from a Florida vacation lurks among the tall grass, and a special plaque honors Dad.

For Anna, a music teacher in the Seaman School District, the pond is “a place for me to remember my dad. There is something calming about the water. Gardening is therapeutic to me. I can’t wait to get out of the classroom and into the garden.”

Anna described her dad as the kind of person always ready to do something for someone else. She said he was a hard worker who was never at rest. He always had a project to complete. On those rare

occasions when he did take a break, it was with a Diet Pepsi in his hand.

“Grief is a journey, not a destination,” POND TOUR continues on 8A

2015 Pond Tour: A Pond to Remember

LiNDA A. DiTch/SPeciAL TO The cAPiTAL-JOURNAL

The Reb pond.

Left PHOtO SUBMItteD BY tHe ReB fAMILY,

LInDA A. DItcH/SPecIAL tO tHe cAPItAL-JOURnAL

Left: The original pond created by Mike Reb before he died in 2010.Below: Anna and Michael Reb added to the pond begun by their dad as a birthday present for their mom, Kathy.



Anna said. “You are never the same per-son once you enter into its path. It changes how you look at life and how you treat others. And it’s a daily struggle with some days more joyful then others. Whether I am working on the pond, or relaxing near it, it gives some peace. God’s beautiful na-ture has a way of providing comfort that humans can’t reach.”

This year’s Pond Tour begins at Old Prairie Town at 124 NW Fillmore. Visitors are invited to see Anna’s Pond, named in memory of young author Anna Riphahn in the Victorian Reading Garden east of the Ward-Meade mansion.

The Reb pond is located at 3412 NE Meri-den Road. Other ponds on the tour in-clude:

n Mary Weaver, 4301 SW 17th Street—a pond, built to honor the return of her son from his first deployment, is a Certified Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation. Besides human visi-tors, it is also enjoyed by rabbits, squir-rels, birds, butterflies, hummingbirds, raccoons, and opossums, plus some wall lizards that escaped a fire from a nearby pet store.

n Dave and Sharon Fisher, 5914 SW Clarion Lakes Way—a two level pond with a small creek connecting each one to the other, with a large variety of land and aquatic vegetation, and Koi fish enjoying the tran-quil pools.

n Kip and Paula Walker, 6526 SW Wentley Lane—a unique pond constructed from used and salvaged material with a one-of-a-kind disappearing edge instead of a con-ventional skimmer, and a bog for filtration instead of a mechanical filtration system.

n Chuck and Sharon Tracy, 5020 NW Der-by Drive—in this water garden, a bridge crosses a stream that seems to come from a hillside and empties into a 2,800 gallon

pond. n Keith and Lynne Pelton, 1609 NW 33rd

Terrace—in a wooded setting, a 37-foot cobblestone stream connects an upper 10- x 11-foot pond with a lower 14- x 9-foot one. A swing area near a fire pit allows visitors a place to relax while enjoying the rippling water.

n Larry and Barb Shipman, 3030 SE Pau-len Road—a 10-foot waterfall spills into a 15-foot stream, which then flows into a tranquil 20- x 20-foot pond filled with Koi fish, water lilies and many other aquatic plants.

n Alan Beam, 5525 SE 45th Street—this pond has a waterfall that faces a gazebo with a rock patio made from hand-sledged stones. Two additional waterfalls offer fil-tration for the garden, which includes a 20- x 12-foot fishpond.

n Dave and Mary Horner, 3912 SE Toma-hawk Trail—when faced with an area of their yard that was deteriorating from erosion, they capitalized on the opportu-nity and created a beautiful waterfall and pond.

Along with the private ponds on the tour, there are also two bonus stops. One

is at WaterScape Concepts, 715 NE High-way 24, where they will be celebrating the business’s seventh year of helping garden-ers create water features. They will also serve complimentary hot dogs, chips and drinks.

The second bonus stop is at Water’s Edge, 9th and Indiana in Lawrence. Visi-tors will find a wide variety of water fea-tures, statuaries, plants and accessories on display.

The tour fun starts on Saturday, June 27 at 9 a.m. and goes to 4 p.m. On Sunday, June 28, the hours are 12 to 4 p.m. Tickets for the pond tour are $6 per person, and children under 12 are free. Tickets are available in advance at HyVee, Jackson’s Greenhouse, Old Prairie Town/Ward Meade, Porterfield’s, Skinner’s Garden Store, Topeka Landscape, WatersScape Concepts, Wild Bird House, and Water’s Edge. On the day of the tour, tickets can be purchased at any of the stops.

The proceeds go to the Topeka Area Water Garden Society. In the past, the or-ganization has used the funds to create the Anna’s Pond at Old Prairie Town/Ward-Meade Park, a fountain at the Ronald Mc-

Donald House, and ponds at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital and Midland Care Services Hospice House, plus many other projects throughout Topeka.

The 24th Annual Topeka Area Pond TourWhen: Saturday, June 27, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, June 28, 12 to 4 p.m.Tickets: $6 per person (children under 12 free). Tick-ets can be purchased in advance at HyVee, Jackson’s Greenhouse, Old Prairie Town/Ward Meade, Porter-field’s, Skinner’s Garden Store, Topeka Landscape, WatersScape Concepts, Wild Bird House, and Water’s Edge, or on tour days at each pond host location.More info: www.TAWGS.org

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Pond Tour: Following the tour

LindA A. diTch/SpeciAL To The cApiTAL-JournAL

An alligator replica is a souvenir from a Florida vacation.


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In our June 6 issue of At Home Living JoAnn Long was incorrectly quoted the article should have said “When the Topeka State Hospital closed and KNI closed some of their units, Sheltered Living stepped up to provide those services,” said JoAnn Long, current Vice President of Development. “We work with individuals who have no place to go.”

In addition the laundry room was installed at the Sheltered Living Inc. Service Center where the Community Integration Program (day services) is located.

Correction for June 6, At Home Living

at home living 062015

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