Gardening
Sustainable Water Use in the Landscape
Raised Bed Drip Line Irrigation Kits with closer drippers are more effective at watering small areas like raised beds.
Photo courtesy of Gardener's Supply Company/gardeners.com
No matter where you live, the conservation and wise use of water in our gardens and landscapes is important. Sustainable water use helps grow beautiful gardens while conserving water and helping reduce water pollution and stormwater overflows.
Amend the soil with compost or other organic matter to increase the soil's ability to absorb and retain rain and irrigation water. More water is absorbed by the amended soil so less runs off your landscape and into the street. This means less fertilizer and pesticides wash into nearby storm sewers, rivers, and lakes.
Cover bare soil with a layer of organic mulch. It conserves moisture so you water less, prevents erosion and helps suppress weeds. As the mulch decomposes, it improves the soil by adding organic matter and nutrients.
Use rain barrels to capture rainwater that drains off the roof. Purchase a rain barrel or make your own from a recycled food grade container. Evaluate the functional design, appearance and space needed when making your selection. The Flat-Back Rain Barrel fits snuggly against your house and holds 50 gallons of water. Add some storage or planting space with a rain barrel like the Madison Rain Barrel with space on top to hold watering accessories or flowering plants. Use the rainwater for watering gardens and containers. Start with a call to your local municipality as some have restrictions on water harvesting, while others encourage this practice and even offer rebates.
Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses for applying water right to the soil where it is needed. You'll lose less water to evaporation and overspray. Avoiding overhead watering helps reduces the risk of disease. Irrigation systems also reduce your time spent watering and are especially helpful for container gardens and raised beds. Systems with closer drippers like the Raised Bed Drip Line Irrigation Kit (gardeners.com) are more effective at watering small areas like raised beds.
Plant native plants suited to your growing conditions and landscape design whenever possible. These deeply rooted plants help keep rainwater where it falls, reducing the risk of basement flooding and overwhelming storm sewers. The plants slow the flow of water, helping keep it on your landscape for the plants to use. Their deep roots create pathways for rainwater to enter and travel through the soil. Plant roots and soil help remove impurities from the water before it enters the groundwater and aquifers.
When adding walks, patios or other hard surfaces to your landscape consider enlisting permeable options. Permeable pavers allow water to infiltrate the surface rather than run off into the street and storm sewer.
Stepping stones placed in mulched pathways or surrounded by groundcovers make an attractive walkway or patio. Look for attractive, long lasting and easy to install products like the Rubber Leaf stepping stones. Plant groundcovers suited to the growing conditions and those that tolerate foot traffic. The planted spaces between the hard surfaces allow water to move into and through the soil.
Implementing just a few of these changes in your landscape design and water management can help increase your landscape's sustainability while reducing your workload.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including The Midwest Gardener's Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything" DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Gardener's Supply for her expertise to write this article. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Antiques
Latest Antique and Collectibles News
There's been plenty of antiques and collectibles news since my last update. Let's catch up on the latest.
Starting with the art world, an Andy Warhol portrait of Marilyn Monroe recently broke two auction records. Forbes reported that the portrait was the most expensive piece of American art ever sold. The New York Times reported that it also set a record price for 20th century art. The 1964 acrylic and silkscreen on linen is 40 inches x 40 inches. "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" was created two years after Monroe's death. CBS described the piece as showing "Monroe in vibrant close-up - hair yellow, eyeshadow blue and lips red - on a rich blue background." It brought $195 million, surpassing the previous record of Picasso's "Les Femmes d'Alger (Version O)," which sold for $179.4 million in 2015.
Another auction record was set when a rare Mercedes Benz went up for sale recently. CNBC reported that the car was sold at "a secretive and highly unusual auction at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany." Only Mercedes Benz customers and collectors were invited to attend. CNBC reported of the record-setting car that "the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe is one of only two created in 1955 and is regarded as one of the most prized cars in auto history." The car was built with a 3.0-liter engine capable of reaching 180 mph, making it one of the fastest legal cars at the time. A British car collector paid $143 million for it.
Golden Age comic books sales have made headlines many times over the past couple years and UPI recently reported on the sale of another. Detective Comics number 27 features the first appearance of Batman. A copy recently sold at auction was graded a 6.5 out of 10. There are 36 known copies and only six have been graded higher. It sold for $1.74 million.
A recent Financial Times article discussed how rare sneaker prices have skyrocketed in recent years. In 2020, a pair of 1985 Nike pre-production Michael Jordan basketball sneakers sold at auction for $560,000. That record was eclipsed twice last year. A Nike Air Yeezy 1 prototype that was worn by rapper Kanye West on stage at the 2008 Grammy awards brought the highest sneaker price when it sold for $1.8 million. It makes me wonder if there'll ever be a market for my old Converse canvas high tops.
We have already picked up a wide variety of items for our fall multi-estate auction including Civil War memorabilia, 19th century baseball cards, sterling silver flatware, a collection of samplers and art. We will be accepting additional consignments throughout the summer. Session 6 of model trains, die-cast cars and other toys will be available for bidding soon. We will also be running an online auction of the contents of a well-appointed home on Beacon Street in downtown Boston. We also plan to start cataloging an online auction of equipment and tools in Oakham, MA soon. Please visit our website https://centralmassauctions.com for links to upcoming events.
Contact us at: Wayne Tuiskula Auctioneer/Appraiser Central Mass Auctions for Antique Auctions, Estate Sales and Appraisal Services www.centralmassauctions.com (508-612- 6111) info@centralmassauctions.com