| Gardeners ready to get back outside
But these colorful collages of landscaping, gardening and lawncare don't come without a little hard work and preparation. Kristy Ostrander, owner of Ostrander Flowers and Greenhouses in Eldon, said now is the time of year when people will have to do the "in/out" gardening. She said it is not quite warm enough yet to leave a lot of the plants outside overnight, but it is better for the plants to get some of the natural sun during the day. For the next couple of weeks, Ostrander said local gardenrs could leave some of their plants outside, making sure there is plenty of water and sun, and then bringing the plants back inside so as not to expose the delicate flora to frost. "I think we are past the last frost but it can come all the way up into May," she said.
Garden gurus give sage advice; Group says wait untill soil warms ...
DOWNSTATE - The Master Gardeners of Kent and Sussex counties have been busy lately, fielding dozens of questions from local residents who want to get a jumpstart on their spring gardening. The group, which provides horticultural advice to Downstaters, opened its gardening hotlines this month, and the calls have been pouring in. George Brewington, president of the Master Gardeners of Kent County, is glad to see that people are enthusiastic about gardening, but he encourages them not to rush into things. "The rule of thumb for planting is to try to get past that last big freeze," he said. "That's usually around May 15." His wife, Marion Brewington, a fellow Master Gardener, said people are often anxious to get in their gardens as soon as the calendar turns to spring.
Sanger Powers inmate walks away from job site
Area law enforcement agencies are on the lookout for a Sanger B. Powers Correctional Center inmate who escaped from a work site early Wednesday. State Department of Corrections officials say Jerome Cornelius, 22, left a community service work site in the Green Bay area at about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday.
Cornelius was working outside with nine others on a landscaping and cleanup project at a non-profit site, Sanger Powers Superintendent Patrick Melman said.
The crew was supervised, Melman said, and its not clear how Cornelius walked away from the scene.
Cornelius was community eligible, meaning he was able to work at any business in the community with minimum supervision.
Authorities arent sure whether hes still in the area.
DC Water Resource Authority Endorses Xeriscaping
Approximately ¾ of water used in Douglas County during the summer months goes towards watering non-native bluegrass. For this reason and several others, Douglas County Government, the Douglas County Water Resource Authority (DCWRA), the South Metro Water Supply Authority and the Centennial Water & Sanitation District have collaborated in distributing a DVD to inform and encourage residents to switch from the traditional bluegrass landscape to a Xeriscape™ landscape. This Xeriscape™ DVD will be direct mailed to all single family Douglas County homeowners and portions of Arapahoe County in April. "One of the best reasons to live in Douglas County is our beautiful and diverse culture and landscape," said Mark Shively, Douglas County Water Resource Authority president. "As homeowners, we contribute to the beauty of our own surroundings by the choices we make in our own years and gardens.
Weeds on Wood River Trails sprayed
The Blaine County Recreation District is beginning the battle against noxious weeds anew this spring. As directed by Idaho law, spot spraying along the Wood River Trails bike path will begin in the next few weeks, said Executive Director Wally Morgus. The Wood River Trails system runs 32 miles from Bellevue to Ketchum and up into Sun Valley. All spraying will be done in the early morning and areas affected will be clearly marked with signs. The chemical being used has a distinct odor that will linger for several days after being sprayed. Joggers and bikers are cautioned to keep pets out of treated areas until the odor is gone, Morgus said. Noxious weeds are plant species that are not indigenous to a given area and are harmful to native plants and animals.
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