Events – The Composting Network https://compostingnetwork.com Preserving Our Natural Resources Fri, 21 Mar 2014 21:52:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 5 Tips on comfortable outdoor entertaining https://compostingnetwork.com/5-tips-comfortable-outdoor-entertaining/ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 21:52:48 +0000 https://landscaping.vamtam.com/?p=308

Hosting guests can be a big feat, so anything you can do to make the process easier for yourself is essential. LoBello recommends creating the dining space in close proximity to the barbecue or an entrance into the house so as to save time running between the table and the kitchen.

1

Designated Spaces

Bringing the indoors outside is a wonderful way to make guests feel comfortable when hosting outdoors. Designated areas that feel like “rooms” help with functionality and flow while still bringing an appealing aesthetic. Tony LoBello, design director at Mariani Landscape Architecture, creates these vignettes by using outdoor rugs, large dining tables, vines and florals to define smaller spaces.

2

Mood Lighting

When hosting dinner outdoors, it is important for guests to be able to see each other without spotlights and bright patio lighting. To help set the mood, LoBello suggests strung globe lights, lanterns or chandeliers to create a soft, fanciful ambiance. Pergolas, while primarily used for shade during the day, are wonderful structures to hang lighting from for evening entertaining, as well.

3

Music

No party should ever be without music! Background music helps guests to relax (or rev up!) and sets the tone for the event. With all of the wonderful wireless technology, it’s super easy to install speakers throughout the space that hook up to a smartphone or Bluetooth device. LoBello and the design team at Mariani have a wealth of experience installing speakers that replicate stones or blend into the foliage, which has become a popular option in landscape design.

4

Proximity to Kitchen

Hosting guests can be a big feat, so anything you can do to make the process easier for yourself is essential. LoBello recommends creating the dining space in close proximity to the barbecue or an entrance into the house so as to save time running between the table and the kitchen.

5

Beverages

One of the keys to a successful party are ice cold libations! Keeping beverages on hand and accessible to you and your guests will make everyone comfortable — guests won’t have to bother you every time they need a refill and you won’t have to play bartender. There are many festive ways to display drinks, such as rolling bar carts, galvanized tubs and built-in outdoor coolers and refrigerators. As long as the drinks in hand are cold and tasty, guests will be happy, says LoBello.

]]> Here’s a free resource to help create drought-tolerant, water-wise landscaping in your home garden https://compostingnetwork.com/free-water-wise-landscaping-in-your-home/ Sat, 07 Sep 2013 14:03:47 +0000 https://landscaping.vamtam.com/?p=303

As Southern California gardeners select drought-friendly plants and keep water conservation in mind, it also would be wise to not forget about maintenance.

Organizational and upkeep tips can help avoid the hits and misses. And for those with questions or who simply like doing things by the book, there are plenty of options including a recently released title: “California Friendly: A Maintenance Guide for Landscapers, Gardeners and Land Managers,” by Douglas Kent.

For Kent, it’s not about sales. In fact, through a first-ever collaboration between the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Metropolitan Water District and the Southern California Gas Company, the books are free. The idea is to provide information that helps gardeners create a space that is beautiful and sustainable for the long term.

Upkeep tips can help

@Gardenynews

Many homeowners listened to the clarion calls to conserve water, ripping out more than 170 million feet of thirsty green lawns during the past eight years, Kent said.They replaced the grass with “California-friendly” landscaping.

Yet, for many, maintaining those landscapes hasn’t been easy, resulting in sad-looking and ecologically challenged yards.

Couple that with pronouncements about the drought the state has battled for years being over and the lifting of some water restrictions, and concerns arise — people will revert back to more familiar water-wasting efforts.

That shouldn’t happen, Kent said. The reliability on water is dependent on having everyone use water wisely.
“It (the book) covers the key aspects of managing a modern landscape: irrigation and working with recycled water; water, fertilization and regeneration requirements for hundreds of plants (most native); natural strategies for weed and pest problems; and managing storm water capture opportunities, including rain barrels,” he said in an email.

The book is comprehensive — with chapter after chapter of do’s, don’ts and advice — and there’s also answers to some important questions. How often should you water? How can you handle natural pest control? How can you manage various surfaces and runoff? Which grasses, perennials, shrubs, succulents and cacti work and, better yet, how do you take care of them properly?

Consider the book a guide and resource.

“Creating and maintaining landscapes takes all kinds of people: owners, managers, contractors, vendors and specialists are vital to a landscape’s success. But it is the men and women in our gardens that ultimately get the job done — the people who get their hands dirty hauling manure, scraping their skin reaching for a weed and enduring harsh weather to preserve beautiful spaces,” he wrote in the book’s dedication.

Kent wants gardeners and consumers to think beyond plant lists and irrigation practices and accept the belief that treating the Southern California landscape correctly directly affects its health and vibrancy along with the people who live here.

]]> Gardening: ‘Ballerina’ roses will dance right into your heart https://compostingnetwork.com/gardening-ballerina/ Wed, 28 Aug 2013 21:23:54 +0000 https://landscaping.vamtam.com/?p=1525

I’m in love with a ballerina — a ‘Ballerina’ rose, that is.

‘Ballerina’ is a hybrid musk rose and hybrid musks, for reasons beyond comprehension, are seldom seen in the nursery trade. Hybrid musks are shrub roses that produce abundant blooms from now until very late fall.

Depending on variety, the fragrance of hybrid musk roses is mild to strong. Connoisseurs of scent claim that hybrid musk rose fragrance is unsurpassed among every other rose fragrance. Hybrid musk is a fragrance that is often described as “pure rose” or “essence of roses.”

Single roses have only one layer

@Gardenynews

Point of information: single roses have only one layer of petals as opposed to roses typically seen, that have double, triple or more layers of petals, exceeding 100 petals per flower in some varieties.

There are other single roses of note, but most of them bloom in spring only and most hybrid musks bloom on and off or even non-stop until the fall. It should be noted that many hybrid musks have double-layered blooms.

In most spheres of life, history has demonstrated that individuals can make a significant difference. This is eminently true when it comes to horticulture.

It was through the efforts of one man, for example, that hybrid musk roses came to be. His name was Joseph Pemberton and he lived outside of London. Between 1912 and 1926, he brought 25 hybrid musks into being. After his death, his sister, his assistant and, finally, his assistant’s widow, brought out another 10 varieties, but all came from hybrid seedlings that were created through Pemberton’s efforts.

]]> Grand Opening Photos https://compostingnetwork.com/grand-opening-photos/ Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:44:09 +0000 https://www.compostingnetwork.com/?p=230 View photos taken at The Composting Network, LLC’s grand opening event.  Guests had a great time learning all about The Composting Network.

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]]> Celebrate the Official Grand Opening of The Composting Network https://compostingnetwork.com/celebrate-the-official-grand-opening-of-the-composting-network/ Wed, 12 Sep 2012 00:39:15 +0000 https://www.compostingnetwork.com/?p=157 September 21, 2012

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
*Invitation Only*

Clever Wine Bar
3700 Orleans Avenue, #1C
New Orleans, LA 70119

Come out and celebrate the official grand opening of The Composting Network. Local businesses and restaurants will be on hand to join in on the fun. Refreshments will be served.

Please call 504-206-9298 or email info@compostingnetwork.com for an invitation.

]]> Gardening: Biological pest control is best because it’s nature’s way https://compostingnetwork.com/gardening-biological-pest-control/ Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:30:23 +0000 https://landscaping.vamtam.com/?p=12483

Biological control of undesirable garden pests is the desirable way to go.It’s a garden management tool that encourages natural processes by bringing one living organism into the garden to munch on another.

Biological control

Biological control of undesirable garden pests is the desirable way to go. It’s a garden management tool that encourages natural processes by bringing one living organism into the garden to munch on another.

Chemicals control

Besides, having chemicals around to control garden pests is always a nuisance. The preparation for use and application must be done while protecting skin, eyes and breathing passages. And storing chemicals is a hassle, too. Chemical pest control may also kill or discourage beneficial insects and other friendly wildlife.

Invisible presence of hordes

In truth, biological control is going on all around us without any human assistance. Native birds have a ravenous appetite for insect pests, as do naturally occurring ladybug and green lacewing larvae. The grain, vegetable and fruit crops on which our diet depends could not grow without the nearly invisible presence of hordes of minute parasitic wasps that do the heavy lifting where worldwide insect pest control is concerned.

Bring birds into your garden

You can bring birds into your garden with birdbaths and birdhouses and by planting perennials with tubular flowers, nearly all of which seem to attract hummingbirds. Beneficial insects are attracted to yarrows (Achillea species), sweet alyssum, penstemon, herbs (thyme, lemon balm, spearmint, English lavender, feverfew, coriander), daisy family members (zinnia, cosmos, chrysanthemum) and, especially, alfalfa.

Still, the presence of birds and visits by beneficial insects through prudent plant selection may not be sufficient to overcome insect pest issues. In such cases, there are insectaries such as Rincon-Vitova (rinconvitova.com) in Ventura that nurture and mass produce dozens of predatory insect species for control of common insect pests and mites. They will ship these beneficial predators right to your door.

Garden pests

Garden pests do not include only insects, but snails and slugs, raccoons, squirrels and deer. Yet, if the only pests that we had to worry about belonged to the animal kingdom, garden maintenance would be a lot simpler than it is. One way or another, animal pests can nearly always be controlled or discouraged.

However, when it comes to pestiferous plants — weeds, that is — it seems that the only way to control certain particularly pernicious types is through chemical application. Yet this, too, may be changing due to increased aversion to chemical use and to expanding research into biological weed control.

Human assisted biological control is not new. Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Chinese brought nests of yellow citrus ants into mandarin orchards to control undesirable caterpillars and beetle borers. And today the Chinese use other kinds of ants to deter insect pests in rice paddies and sugarcane fields.

]]> Take cover! Protect outdoor gatherings and plants from the unrelenting sun https://compostingnetwork.com/protect-plants-from-the-unrelenting-sun/ Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:22:46 +0000 https://landscaping.vamtam.com/?p=12448

 

This is an aside post.

It’s summertime and the living can be easy, but also breezy, windy and hot, making it difficult for entertaining, not to mention the health risks from potentially dangerous doses of the sun.

Protect yourself and guests with some ideas that will still allow everyone to enjoy backyard fun. The relentless heat from the sun’s rays also can pose a threat to pets and plants.

Find some simple ways — awnings, canopies, curtains, umbrellas, sail cloths — to cover outdoor living spaces without spending a lot of money. And for your plants, consider extra mulch, early morning watering and using companion plants that can take the heat to protect those that don’t.

“Whether you’re a homeowner, a guest at a resort or enjoying any kind of outdoor space, sporting event, outdoor dining, whatever, people enjoy being outside,” said Vince Hankins, industrial business manager for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, the makers of the performance fabric Sunbrella. “And while there are so many healthful aspects of being outdoors, people are quite concerned about what can be the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation over a long period of time.”

Some good choices for backyards are shade structures. They provide an opportunity to be outside and with protection.

“There are a myriad of structures available today, shade fabrics and coverings designed today that can help protect you in a beautiful and pleasurable way that still enhances the outdoor living space,” Hankins said.

An increasingly notable option is the shade sail, which can be found at outdoor parking areas, playgrounds, car dealerships and baseball fields. But now they’re finding a way into backyards with more frequency. The Sunbrella contour fabric is specifically for sun sails. It has a mesh design, Hankins said, that breathes, allowing air to flow through while helping to block out the sun.

Today, homeowners can design outdoor spaces with fashion and function in mind. Shade product choices run the gamut from fixed frame awnings, lateral arm retractable awnings to umbrellas. Another consideration can be pergolas or fixed structures, enhanced with a fabric component, that can utilize a wire system or one that can be drawn or deployed much like a window shade. Use portable room dividers or privacy screens. Consider hanging curtains.

The idea is to help take the heat and harmful rays off you.

 

]]> ‘Hass’ avocado patent didn’t earn Rudolph Hass as much as he hoped https://compostingnetwork.com/tips-for-a-strong-start/ Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:18:58 +0000 https://landscaping.vamtam.com/?p=12445 The residents won’t mind! https://compostingnetwork.com/residents-wont-mind/ Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:01:38 +0000 https://landscaping.vamtam.com/?p=12438

Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading emerging market operator, connecting subscribers in 22 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: “MTN.” As of 30 June 2013, MTN recorded 201.5 million subscribers across its operations in Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia.  MTN’s brand is the most valuable in Africa, and is ranked in the top 100 brands worldwide. MTN’s shares constitute the biggest primary listing on the JSE – Africa’s largest stock exchange.

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