The growing emphasis manyhomeowners place on keepingtheir property pristine is reflectiveof many things. Though it's quitepossible a reflection of the enjoy-ment many homeowners take fromlandscaping, it's more likely areflection of the impact a well-manicured lawn can make on theoverall value of the property.

In a study conducted byMichigan State University, a well-manicured lawn was found toincrease the value of a home any-where from 5 to 11 percent. Muchof that might be due to curbappeal. A home with curb appealis one that is appealing to thenaked eye, meaning prospectivebuyers already have a good firstimpression before even steppingfoot inside the home. A home withgreat curb appeal will attract moreprospective buyers, likely addingthe amount homeowners can addto their asking price.

As the popularity of landscap-

ing has grown, so has the popular-ity of responsible landscaping.More and more homeowners arenot only spending their weekendscaring for their lawns, but alsodoing so in a way that's beneficialto the environment. For those hop-ing to follow suit, consider the fol-lowing tips:

• Remember something as sim-ple as the seeds can make a big dif-ference. Oftentimes, the region ofthe country will dictate whichchoice of grass seed is best for agiven lawn. That's because a grassthat's suited to a particular areawill require less maintenance,which means less water and lessreliance on substances to preventor fix problems. Using less water isenvironmentally friendly, as isusing less chemicals to solve prob-lems related to the lawn. Consultwith your local nursery or gardencenter for the types of grass seedbest suited for your region.

• Organic diets can benefit the

lawn, too. Many people preferorganic foods these days becauseof their taste and their smaller car-bon footprint than processed andpreserved foods. But organicsaren’t just good for humans;they're good for lawns as well.Instead of chemical-based foodsand fertilizers, consider an all-nat-ural diet for your lawn. Compostheaps can generate importantnutrients for your lawn and plantsand can be created simply fromlawn clippings, raked leaves andthe uneaten scraps from yourkitchen -- like fruit rinds, eggshellsand leftover coffee grounds.

• Install an irrigation system.While soaking a lawn with watermight seem good for the grass,

chances are it's not very good forthe environment and possibly ille-gal in heavy drought regions. Anunderground irrigation system,however, is designed to waterlawns and plants at the root level,strengthening the grass and plantsand saving some water in themeantime.

• Keep the grass cut at a prop-er level. While Junior might wantto cut the grass as close as possi-ble to reduce the amount of timeshe has to push the mower aroundthe yard, cutting too low is poten-tially very harmful to the grass.That's because grass that's cut tooshort is increasingly susceptibleto disease, insects and drought.

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Adjustable angle hedge trimmer attachment . . . . . . . . . . . . $229.95FH Converts your Multi-Cut into a power scythe . . . . . . . . . . . . $229.95HT Converts your Multi-Cut into a pole saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $219.95FCBCable drive attachment converts your Multi-Cut into an edger for

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Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan ■ Tuesday, May 11, 2010PAGE 14 www.yankton.net

Yard & Garden 2010

(MS) -- Spring is here at last! Most of uscan’t wait to shake off the winter blues, toget out into the sunshine, walk the dog,play catch with the kids or just take astroll in the park. For homeowners, it’sthe first chance to work on the yard,restore a lush lawn and, for an increasingnumber of gardening aficionados, create ahome vegetable garden. Inner city urban-ites, even those with a postage stamp sizeyard, have been swept up by the ‘growyour own’ movement.

Victory Gardens, first introduced byEleanor Roosevelt during the Great War,were the original community raised gar-dens. People were encouraged to growtheir own veggies in support of the wareffort. Today, raised garden beds havereplaced them as the eco-friendly solu-tion for eating healthier without adding tothe carbon footprint caused by truckingproduce from the grower to the store.

Thanks to the Frame It All™ raisedbed gardening system, it's nearly effort-less to assemble a raised garden bed andeasy to maintain with minimal weedingand back-breaking bending to water andmaintain it — a boon for seniors! Gone are

the tattered, rotting wood frames or hulk-ing ugly railroad ties that can overpowerthe aesthetics of even the most beautifulyard. Manufactured with 40 percent woodfiber and 60 percent recycled post-con-sumer plastic, the Frame It All™ rigid,‘green’ composite timbers are attractivewith a wood grain finish that is UV pro-tected. The raised garden bed timberswill never rot, splinter, warp nor becomeinfested and are recyclable. The patentedheavy duty, corner joints and bracketsmake it simple to increase the size andheight dimensions at any time. It’s like‘Lego’ for gardeners!!

“I have a small back yard which is usedby my entire family and dog,” says Nicolefrom Spring, Texas. “So I like having anarea set apart from the rest of the yard inwhich I can garden. This system is so easyto put together, and it looks great! I'm nota very good construction person, but Ifound the assembly instructions wereeasy to follow, and all I needed was ascrewdriver and a mallet.”

Home vegetable growers control thequality of the soil, nutrients and otheradditives so veggies and fruits grown in a

raised garden bed taste better, are health-ier and cost much less than those frombought at the local market. Of course, theicing on the cake is the self-satisfactionand joy of serving up delicious tomatoesand veggies picked fresh from the garden.

• Think vertically. Adding a veggie trel-lis to a raised bed vegetable garden great-ly increases the amount of vertical grow-ing space and provides the needed sup-port for cultivating squash, beans, toma-toes and other vines. As well as giving aviable option for those without a lot ofspace, a vertical growing system alsopays numerous dividends to the gardenitself. Plants on the vine enjoy greater aircirculation and so are healthier and not assusceptible to disease.

“I just put mine together with my 13year old son, and it was a breeze,” saysPaula from Valley Forge, PA. “We had lotsof rain last night, so it was very easy toget the corners into the soil. We filled itwith compost, chopped leaves, manure,and top soil. I think this is a great raisedbed frame. We plan to plant onions andgarlic in this one, and will be putting moreof these in the veggie garden within the

next few weeks.”• Add compost and mulch to the gar-

den. If weeds are a gardener’s worstenemy, compost and mulch might just bea gardener’s best friend. Compost addsany number of microorganisms to the

soil, strengthening a plant’s roots andenabling it to pick up more nutrients inthe process. Mulch, meanwhile, can helpkeep down harmful weeds, thereby reduc-ing the competition a plant will have forvaluable water and nutrients.

Harvesting A Healthier Garden For Your Family

PHOTO COURTESY OF METROCREATIVE SERVICES

(MS) -- Looking to punch upthe aesthetic value of youryard? Try adding an invitingstone patio, pathway or bor-der. Stone blends well with allarchitecture and landscapestyles and is far more appeal-ing to the eye than boring,bland concrete.

Rocks and stone have beenused in landscapes for cen-turies. They add timeless styleand enduring beauty. Thelongevity of the paving stoneson the island of Crete, in placefor thousands of years, speaksvolumes about stone's durabil-ity in a landscape.

Adding stone to a yard naturally enhances the beauty of thelandscape and brings balance between organic and inorganic mate-rials.

Creating a stone path once required a large amount of time andsweat. Today stone hardscapes can be created quickly and easilywith a product like Easy Gardener(R) River Stones.

The natural stone forms are made with Indonesian river stones.Stones are permanently attached to strong net and rubber back-ings with eco-friendly adhesives. The forms retain their shape andcan be used to make stone pathways, patio surfaces, flowerbedborders and accents. This is one of those products people see andthen ask themselves, "Where could I use those?"

The square tiles, rectangular mats and long, narrow borders areavailable in five colors -- blush, onyx, pearl, slate, sunset. Checkthem out at your local lawn and garden retailer or visit www.easy-gardener.com for more information.

The thought of adding a new stone walkway or patio can beoverwhelming. It can be tough to visualize what it will look likewhen it is finished. Achieving the final look before permanentinstallation is simple with River Stones.

Place tiles, mats and/or borders on top of the ground in theplanned patio or path area. If the configuration falls short of theenvisioned addition, move the tiles, mats and borders around untilthe look is picture perfect. When the desired look is attained, grasscan be removed and the River Stones placed in position. If thestone needs to be moved in coming years, relocate by lifting andmoving to new site. Try doing that with a concrete hardscape!

Small splashes of stone can make a big statement when accent-ing existing structures. Use individual tiles and mats as doormatsor planter holders. Multiple mats can be positioned as a runnerdown the center of a rustic outdoor table. A stone walking stripbetween a pool and existing concrete patio creates a natural, ele-mental transition between the areas.

Applications are not limited to outdoor landscapes. Stone canbe used for indoor decor too. The River Stone tiles can be appliedto indoor areas with the same techniques that are used in ceramictile installation. Want a stone floor in your shower? Or a stonebacksplash over your kitchen sink? You can do it!

It only takes a few hours, a bit of elbow grease, and a stack ofRiver Stone tiles to add the timeless beauty and durability of stoneto indoor decor and outdoor spaces.

Rock Your WorldWith River Stones

Adding a stone path is fast andsimple when using new EasyGardener® River Stones.

Easy Ways To An Environmentally Friendly Lawn