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AMANDA SEBASTIANOStaff Writer

When looking at a fl ower gar-den, the non-gardeners are prob-ably missing a lot, at fi rst glance.

More than likely, they aren’t considering the behind-the-scenes work it took for the bed of daisies to look lush and full, or the placement of certain plants in the shade, because they require little sunlight.

Or how the roses are bursting out of a bush to the left of the front door, because they are the gardener’s favorite and she likes them up front.

Growing a fl ower garden re-quires precision, technicality and a passion.

Local fl ower gardener Debo-rah Cook-Gordon has been play-ing with fl owers since she was a child, growing up in a truck farm-family in St. Louis. Over the years, she has tweaked and perfected her techniques and now has a home engulfed in fl ower gardens — one on every side of the house.

She has tried various tech-niques in her planting; digging-up, re-planting and swapping are all a part of her gardening rou-

tine, not that she has one per ce. She defi nes her schedule as loose, but frequent, with the help of a landscaper and occasionally her husband, Jim, whose thumb isn’t even close to being green, he joked.

Gordon does interior design work part-time when she isn’t knee-deep in mulch, like she was last week. Wednesday, she had just gotten 2 yards of mulch de-livered and couldn’t wait to get her hands in it.

But fi rst, she had some ideas for those considering getting their gloves dirty this spring.

As she does with her moun-tainous pile of freshly delivered mulch, it’s important to have a plan, she stressed.

“When I fi rst moved here, about six years ago, my back-yard was nothing but red clay,” Gordon said. “I stood in the mid-dle of the yard and vowed to my-self that I would have things to-gether in fi ve years.”

Gordon’s fi ve-year plan was to have the garden to a point where she would only have to maintain it, and not do much more work to it, which she joked would never

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Ray Gora / Lincoln Times-NewsABOVE and FRONT COVER: Deborah Cook-Gordon takes particular pride in her roses, which can pose challenges for gardeners to cultivate successfully.

See FLOWERS, page 6

SARAH LOWERYStaff Writer

Warmer weather certainly has its advantages, but with it may come one biting, stinging pest.

Due to the unseasonably mild winter and early spring, there is a greater likelihood for an abun-dance of fi re ants this year.

“Fire ants are well-established in the area,” said Kevin Starr, director of the county’s Coop-erative Extension Service, who-talked with the Times-News last week. Though he hasn’t re-ceived many questions or com-plaints about the insects in recent years, he expects a resurgence of the ants in 2012, having already spotted some mounds locally.

One of the worst infestations Starr has ever seen was in Iron Station a couple of years ago.

According to a Department of Entomology article on the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service website, the mounds, typically located in sunny areas next to sidewalks, driveways and other heat-absorbing masses, may continue to enlarge as the population of ants grows, with younger colonies not always having formed their mounds yet.

The pesky creatures can be found in most parts of North Carolina, after spreading rapidly throughout the southeastern U.S. since being introduced into Mo-bile, Ala., in 1930, Starr said.

He was quick to point out that though fi re ants can be con-trolled, they can’t be eliminated completely. “We want to make sure people know how to man-age them,” he noted.

While they aren’t likely to have an impact on gardens and plants — they are usually found in undisturbed, grassy areas — the pests are aggressive when bothered and will attack those in their path. Their bites may result in small, red pustules that are un-comfortable at best.

For anyone allergic to their stings, the situation is much more serious. Starr warned that young children playing in a yard, pasture or hayfi eld are particu-larly at risk if they unknowingly

poke or kick at a mound.Fire ants typically surge out of

their mounds in great numbers at even the smallest disturbance and can “get on someone before they know it,” Starr noted.

Lincoln County residents who have moved here from colder climates where the pests aren’t commonly found may also not be aware of the dangers they pose, Starr said.

There are two primary means of managing fi re ants — 1) through bait treatment and 2) through direct-contact treatment with nonbait insecticides.

Plenty of old wives’ tales sug-gest other methods. “There are lots of supposed folk recipes, but there’s no evidence that they work,” Starr said.

Baits, which should be sprin-

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Controlling fire ants near your home

Ray Gora / Lincoln Times-NewsLincoln County residents

could see greater numbers of fire ants than normal this year due to the mild winter

and early spring, warns Lincoln County Cooperative

Extension Director Kevin Starr.

See ANTS, page 12

JENNA-LEY HARRISONStaff Writer

With obesity becoming a prominent issue in today’s so-ciety, agriculture and food nu-trition experts with the Lincoln County offi ce of the North Car-olina Cooperation Extension are letting people know that good nutrition can start with garden-ing.

According to Family and Con-sumer Sciences Extension Agent Melinda Houser, the entire state of North Carolina is native to a superfl uous supply of healthy fruits and vegetables during the spring and summer seasons, some of which include sweet potatoes, squash, peaches, corn, mushrooms and beans.

“We encourage vegetables and fruits,” she said.

“Most people say ‘fruits and veggies,’ but we say ‘veggies’ fi rst.”

Houser said currently straw-berries and asparagus are the two main foods being harvested in the area and that unseasonable weather patterns have greatly affected crops’ time frames for growing.

This season, a majority of farmers and gardeners planted the sweet red fruit two weeks earlier than scheduled due to


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what she wanted, Gordon hired someone to draw up a physical plan for her yard, so she could see her thoughts on paper — an-other recommendation for rook-ies.

After the plan is drafted and the wheels are in motion, look over the terrain where the gar-den will soon be created. Get to know the area — its limitations, what works, what doesn’t and why.

Gordon’s once-clay backyard had erosion issues, so over time, she found plants that would help stop or slow down the process. She remembers standing up to her hip in a hole that was caused by erosion.

Her next piece of advice for a healthy, happy garden came as a bit of a surprise — welcome creepy crawlers.

“A good way to tell if you’re doing something right is when you start to see red wigglers (worms) in the soil,” Gordon said. “They appear when their environment is really healthy and (the worms) are excellent for fl owers.”

Gardeners should have insects in their gardens, just not ones that destroy and feed on plants, she said.


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Ray Gora/ Lincoln Times-News

Many plants like these in Deborah Cook-Gordan’s

garden can serve the dual purposes of being

ornamental as well as providing help with

erosion control.

FLOWERS(continued from page 2)

See FLOWERS, page 7

Soil is what draws the bugs to the fl owers and plants, if the ground is healthy. Getting the foundation right is a key factor in a garden. Lincoln County Co-operative Extension will test soil samples and will tell you what nutrients are missing, for free.

Gordon uses a compost mix-ture in her soil, to loosen it up and keep it healthy — a com-bination of vegetable and fruit scraps that she mixes with leaves her friends bring over from their trees. She recommends investing in a compost machine to have


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Ray Gora / Lincoln Times-NewsWild daisies are among the many blossoms that adorn Deborah Cook-Gordon’s flower beds.

DEAN FOSDICKFor The Associated Press

A creative sideline for garden-ers is plant propagation, or en-hancing the landscape through reproduction.

It’s also a cheap way to fi ll fl owerbeds and herbal containers while prices continue to climb.

Methods of propagation range from seed sowing to grafting, and all require varying degrees of skill.

“For propagation, you don’t need an education but you may need some guidance,” said Ken Druse, author of the new Making More Plants: The Science, Art and Joy of Propagation (Stew-art, Tabori and Chang). “Most often, though, it’s all about start-ing plants from seeds.”

Seeds are an economical way to grow in bulk, even if you must buy them in commercially pre-pared packets. “Getting your

seeds from a proven source is a good way to ensure high produc-tion,” Druse said.

Here is a propagation glossary, describing the most commonly used methods:

■ Sowing seeds: Druse starts his seeds in 3½-inch pots, topping the soil with fi ne sand. “Moist soil is a great medium for seeds but also for fungus, which can kill a great many sprouts in just a couple of weeks,” he said. “Gravel is not a hospitable me-dium for fungus.”

■ Stem, leaf or root cuttings: Pieces of the parent plant are cut and placed in water or a suitable growing medium until roots de-velop. They become clones, or junior versions of the originals and soon are ready for trans-planting.

■ Layering: A practice usu-


See FLOWERS, page 9

Propagation offers cheap way to build plant collection

See PLANT, page 14


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Buying cheaper items will cost more money later when they have to be continuously re-placed, Gordon promised. Buy as expensive tools as the bud-get will allow, she said. Main-tenance of the tools is as equal-ly important as purchasing the right ones.

As a rule of thumb, look for hardware stores that sharpen lawnmower parts; if it works on those parts, it will work for the gardening tools. Sharpening and cleaning pruners and shovels will give them longer lives and will make it easier to dig in the soil, Gordon said.

When surfi ng the Web for the right equipment to purchase, also think about what fl owers


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Ray Gora / Lincoln Times-NewsThe red clay soil found in and around Lincoln County poses challenges for successful gardening, but its growing power can be improved with compost and purchased soils that are looser and contain more nutrients.


See FLOWERS, page 12


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AMANDA SEBASTIANOStaff Writer

While performing the annual spring cleaning ritual, stop and take a look at the big picture – see what is swept, mopped, dust-ed, painted and so meticulously scrubbed after the sun’s rays re-place the chilly, winter air.

The home is more than living space used to store furniture and keepsakes; it’s the most impor-tant asset a person can have, said Leigh Guth, family and consum-er science agent for the county’s Cooperative Extension Services.

Guth analyzes data that an-swers a variety of questions con-sumers are faced with every day in their homes, and focuses on energy-effi cient alternatives that will save the wallet and possibly the planet.

Researching the life expectan-cy of certain household items, like vacuum cleaners, will save from having to buy a new one later on. Keeping eyes peeled for Energy Star-labeled items gears shoppers in the direction of products that meet or exceed government expectations for en-ergy effi ciency.

While reading labels, be sure to check the amount of lumens on the front of light bulb packag-es. Lumens measure the amount of light output and will eventu-ally be shown in a table resem-bling a nutrition guide found on food, drinks and just about any item made up of multiple con-tents, Guth told the Times-News last week.

Cooperative Extension recom-mends saving 1 to 3 percent of the value of the home to use to-ward maintenance and repairs.

“We go to the doctor for check ups and get the oil changed on our cars — why not pay the same amount of attention to our homes?” Guth asked.

Making a home maintenance checklist is a good start to get-ting the ball rolling on home-health this spring.

The extension’s website offers a guide for things to inspect in various areas of the home, from the windows and walls to gutters and roof shingles.

To keep the eco-friendly theme going, check windows and doors for problems with insulation, a quick at-home fi x, Guth assures.

Caulking and weather strip-ping are easy to do and are rel-atively inexpensive as opposed to replacing the problem area. Properly insulated homes keep cold air in and warm air out. Frequent vent-checks and mak-ing sure all are clear of obstruc-tions will help cool things down during the upcoming warmer months as well.

Less obvious factors to con-sider that may be making the home feel as hot as the outside temperature, are the under-the-house vents and ducts. A main-tenance person may have shifted something while working, a rac-coon could have bumped it or even the wind may have separat-ed the two and will alter the way it feels inside the home.

Guth stresses three areas of importance for home improve-ment this spring: be conscious of energy-effi cient practices; evalu-ate the safety and practicality of the home; and shop around.

Back to light bulbs, quickly. Compact fl uorescent and LED bulbs are said to have the longest duration and can save up to $50 a year if replacing 15 other bulbs with these more effi cient ones, Guth said.

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you want to put in your garden. Doing your homework is key. Find out which types are na-

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Certain fl owers bloom for short periods of time and dur-ing particular seasons — annu-als. Perennials, like the majority found in Gordon’s bouquet, have staggered blossom times, so she has something blooming all year.

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Ray Gora / Lincoln Times-NewsDeborah Cook-Gordon has successfully grown a large variety of attractive flowers.

kled around the mounds, are in-secticides that the ants mistake as food and carry down to their queen. Starr said the bait treat-ment is slower-acting but offers better overall control, and he rec-ommends giving it time to work before going for the quicker kill.

The mounds of fi re ants are distinctive, well-defi ned and raised, with honeycombed inte-riors. Though much faster, the nonbait insecticides are harder to get all the way down to the queen, making it more diffi cult to eliminate the entire mound.

If looking to treat mounds in your lawn, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service website recommends the follow-ing tips.

For bait treatment: Make sure you buy fresh bait. Don’t store it for lengthy periods of time. Avoid storing the bait near oth-er pesticides, fuels or products whose odors may be absorbed.

Apply baits to dry grass. Do not apply them if it has recent-ly rained or is supposed to rain within 24 hours. When applying the bait, be careful not to disturb the mound so the ants won’t be distracted from foraging.

For direct-contact treatment: Make sure you mix the insecti-cides with the correct amount of water (1.5-2 gallons per mound) before drenching the mound. Ants are nearest to the surface in midmorning, so apply the treat-ment then.

Try not to disturb the nest, as the ants will move the queen out of danger and she won’t be as likely to come into contact with the treatment. Check back a few days after the initial treatment to see if any “satellite mounds” have sprung up.

For more information, vis-it www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes /O&T/lawn/note145/note145.html.

You can also contact the coun-ty’s extension offi ce or most gar-den centers for questions about treatment products or processes.


See FLOWERS, page 15

ANTS(continued from page 3)

warmer temperatures, but with a cold spell hitting the area this past week, early-planted crops may cease to thrive.

Houser hopes that through N.C. Cooperative Extension classes and other available infor-mation the organization offers on nutrition and agriculture, lo-cal residents can learn healthier eating habits.

“It’s about learning behavior changes and lifestyle,” she said.

Houser was more than disap-pointed to learn that after a sur-vey of local Lincoln County stu-dents, most admitted to eating very few fruits and vegetables in their diet.

“It’s a big problem,” she said. “Obesity is an uphill battle.”

She pointed out how simple backyard gardening can be both mental “therapy” and “exercise” for those willing to do the work.

“You can work at your own pace,” Houser said.

“Gardening gives you plea-sure; it’s a joy to watch and see it grow … You know it’s fresh from your garden to table.”

She noted that Cooperative Extension agents often encour-age elderly citizens to grow plants and vegetables using sim-ple gardening methods such as raised-bed or container gardens.

Raised-bed gardens, some ex-

amples of which are located be-hind the Cooperative Extension Offi ce, are comprised of a spe-cifi c type of wooden frame and housed above ground. Items are contained in a small space, mak-ing it easy to maintain and water, according to Lincoln County Ex-tension Director Kevin Starr.

“They work really well if you don’t want a big garden,” he said.

Houser suggests that those who are just starting out cultivat-ing their own gardens plant veg-etables such as onions, tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers, crops that are the easiest to both care for and maintain.

“With backyard gardens, you know what you grow and can pick it fresh and eat it,” she said.

Houser pointed out how gar-dening can be cost-effective and safer than purchasing the same imported items from local gro-cery stores.

“A lot of food nowadays is transported from other coun-tries,” she said.

Growing one’s own crops may also save money, Houser said, particularly for a small family.

Starr gave three important fac-tors for those wishing to start a garden.

He said soil preparation is of most importance, particularly making sure the soil is nearly neutral, falling somewhere be-tween 6 and 6.5 on the PH scale.

In addition, Starr advised that gardeners use lime to raise soil PH as well as incorporate organ-ic matter into the soil to break up the area’s indigenous clay.

“Proper soil leads to more suc-cess and less pests,” he said.

In addition, Starr said plant-ing early also prevents worms from gathering and eating crops but that using pesticides to keep bugs off plants should be a last resort.

“First, identify the pest cor-rectly and if it’s even necessary to use a pesticide,” he said.

In addition to vegetable gar-dens, Houser pointed to herb gardens, which she said can pro-vide extensive nutrition.

“They are great to use rather than salt to season food,” she said.

“Most have good nutritional properties and add fl avor.”

Herbs are also prominent in-gredients in certain types of medications, she added.

Gardening is on the rise,

Houser said, but before ama-teur gardeners start the process of building their own backyard sanctuaries, she advised that families plan ahead by research-ing their favorite foods and talk-ing to local farmers and other seasoned growers for tips and other advice.

“They (farmers) love to share stories,” she said.

Houser said that through the local Extension Offi ce, county offi cials are working to “move people in another direction” health-wise.

“When obesity increases, health insurance rates also in-crease because people make more doctor visits and require more medications,” she said.

Houser pointed out how sug-ars — other than those found in fruits — have been liked to chronic diseases such as diabe-tes.

“While fruits have sugar,” she said, “it’s natural … and they have other good properties that

aren’t in a candy bar.”

A recent study of on the healthiness of North Carolina’s 100 counties, conducted by the University of Wisconsin Popu-lation Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Founda-tion, ranked Lincoln County at No. 34 out of 100.

Mecklenburg County fi lled the No. 4 position while Gaston County ranked quite low at No. 79, and neighboring Catawba County took the No. 29 spot.

Houser said she believes that that all counties could improve their rankings if people took more time to cook and snack on fruits and veggies rather than dining out at restaurants.

The Lincoln County offi ce of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension plans to host summer classes on canning and pickling as well as making homemade jams and relishes.

For more information on Co-operative Extension programs and classes, call (704) 736-8452.


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NUTRITION(continued from page 4)

SARAH WOLFEFor The Associated Press

Ceilings are the Rodney Dan-gerfi eld of homes. They get no respect.

But there are plenty of easy ways to make over this oft-over-looked area, from the quirky charm of Victorian-era, pressed-tin tiles and beadboard to a sim-ple splash of color.

“Historically, ceilings were highly decorated, but it seems as houses have become more mod-ern they have been forgotten,” says San Francisco-based interi-or designer Cecilie Starlin.

“Once again, though, ceilings are starting to get the attention they deserve.”

Here are some suggestions — from the simple to the complex — to transform your ceilings from drab white squares into the focal point of a room.Ceiling medallion

Probably the easiest way to

bring the eye upward in a room is with a ceiling medallion, a white or colored decorative disk typi-cally mounted around a lighting fi xture.

The pieces come in a variety of styles and can be found in any home improvement store.

Another bonus? Today’s lighter polyurethane

models are much simpler to in-stall and easier on the wallet than those from decades past, says Alex Bandon, online editor of Thisoldhouse.com.

“I personally like that look in the bedroom,” she says.

“It’s a really unusual thing, but it makes a simple bedroom much more romantic and exciting.”

PaintIf you have tall ceilings or

want a cozy feel, extend the wall color onto the ceiling, or go bold and throw a darker or contrasting color up above to make the area

appear smaller.“Color on the ceiling is not

forbidden,” Bandon says. It’s “something you can play around with a bit.”

Go with a fl at paint on ceilings to minimize light refl ection and mask imperfections, says Puji Sherer of the eco-paint manufac-turer YOLO Colorhouse in Port-land, Ore.

“Since ceilings are not in dan-ger of greasy fi ngerprints and the regular wear and tear that walls receive, higher gloss fi nishes are not necessary,” she says.

PanelingFor a classic New England

cottage look, you can’t beat the charm of wood paneling such as beadboard on the ceiling.

Amy Matthews, a contractor and host of the DIY Network’s Sweat Equity, prefers the ease of gluing and nailing larger bead-board sheet panels to the ceiling

rather than tacking up individual tongue-and-groove pieces.

The panels, which can be cut with a power or handsaw, should be nailed to ceiling joists, and can then be stained or painted.

Bandon likes the look in bath-rooms, where wainscoted walls are common, or on front-porch ceilings, in a traditional light-blue color that was thought to keep insects away.

Pressed-tin panelsThese are a popular ceiling

option if you’re looking for a folksy, vintage feel, and they also come in larger patterned-metal sheets for easier installa-tion, Bandon says.

The panels can be nailed in place with a hammer or nail gun onto furring strips that must fi rst be nailed up, according to thisol-dhouse.com.

Overlap the edges and seal the panels with a clear polyurethane or apply an oil-based paint.

Drop panel ceilingMany people shudder at the

thought of a drop panel ceiling, envisioning the white utilitar-ian grids and fl uorescent light-ing common in 1960s basements and offi ce buildings.

But Matthews says today’s drop ceilings are handsomer, de-signed in many more colors and textures.

Several companies even make individual panels in materials such as wood and tin that fi t into existing metal grid systems.

That can give homeowners a cheaper way to bring their drop ceiling into the 21st century, Matthews says.


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ally done with woody plants where living stems are placed on the ground with their tips forced downward. They receive nour-ishment from the parent plants while roots form on the planted ends, enabling them to eventu-ally be separated and grow un-aided.

■ Grafting: Branches are re-moved from one woody plant and secured to another until they “take” or begin to grow. That unites certain desirable charac-teristics from one plant — say hardiness, dwarfi ng or faster fruiting — with those of its host. Apple trees commonly are graft-ed, as are Japanese maples.

■ Dividing: Perennials should be divided once they out-grow their sites. That improves their health, bulks up foliage and produces more fl owers. “De-pending upon the species, these divisions may grow to be as large as the original plant by sea-son’s end: more plants for free,” Druse said.

“Sowing seeds, cuttings and division are the most prevalent

forms of propagation done by home gardeners,” said Rosie Lerner, an extension consumer horticulturist with Purdue Uni-versity. “It’s a little work but well worth the effort. It’s a mat-ter of knowing which parts of the plants to split off and divide. Many have a high degree of suc-cess.”

And then there are plant swaps, which add a social component to garden building.

Be careful of those pass-along plants from neighbors and friends, though — the kind they’re willing to trade because they have so many. Some could be infested with mites, while others may be invasive.

“Some plants are thugs,” Druse said. “Anything so easy to propagate may not be that great to have around your yard.”Online:

For more about expanding your plant collection through propagation, see this University of Minnesota Sustainable Ur-ban Landscape fact sheet: http://www.sustland.umn.edu/maint/propagation.html

You can contact Dean Fosdick at [email protected]

PLANT(continued from page 7)

Remember the ceiling when decorating the room

See CEILING, page 15

Coffered ceilingOriginally used during the Re-

naissance and popularized in the late 19th and early 20th centu-ries, coffered ceilings are one of the more complex ceiling proj-ects, but also the most formal and dramatic.

The process involves attach-ing fl at or more intricately mold-ed beams to the ceiling to create a square, grid-like pattern that is then typically trimmed out with crown molding, Bandon says.

It drops your ceilings down, so use caution in a small room, but

it adds instant classic elegance to a dining or living room.

“It’s a great way to hide fl aws in your ceiling,” Bandon says. “It’s also a great way to hide duct work or something you have to put in your ceiling.”

Building a soffi t box around the perimeter of a ceiling also can give the look of a layered, coffer-like ceiling, says Ken Collier, editor-in-chief of The Family Handyman magazine.

Install recessed lighting in the soffi t box or run downlights along the top to make the light “kind of wash along the walls. It looks very dramatic,” Collier says.


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maintenance, short-life fl owers, annuals are the way to go, Gor-don said.

Finally, sharing is caring. Gordon frequently meets with friends and other gardeners to swap plants, fl owers and seeds. This adds diversity to the garden and sometimes-unexpected addi-

tions that will pleasantly surprise you, she said. Trading secrets with other like-minds will also help get excess plants or fl owers out of the garden to make space for new ones.

“Something is always over-taking our gardens; sometimes I look at their (friends’) plants and say, ‘I don’t know what you are, but you’re interesting and I’ll take you,’ ” Gordon said.


homeowners. Over time, start to make plans and assess the func-tionality of the home and how it will work with the lifestyle of those living there.

Think about the staircase that leads to the master bathroom up-stairs — is it getting harder to climb them?

Sometimes remodeling may be necessary to help homeown-ers make their living space ap-propriate for their new needs, Guth said.

Weigh the options fi rst and re-ally evaluate what is going to be done to your home and if it’s practical.

Sometimes big, costly renova-tions seem like a good idea at the time, but may not add value to the home or be of much use later, Guth said.

Just remember to explore the

options. Guth recommends get-ting three opinions before choos-ing a handy person to work on home repairs — do the research. Read ratings online; ask around to friends and others who have used the company, or person, be-fore.

Having to go back and have the same job done more than once will add up.

On the other side of the safe-ty issue, think about the possi-bility of inclimate weather that may head North Carolina’s way as hurricane season draws closer.

Have a safety plan ready that shows what areas of the home to take shelter, should the need arise.

With that plan, have items like batteries and fl ashlights and other storm season supplies at-reach, too.

Guth will be teaching home improvement courses in May. For tips and course information, visit www.lincoln.ces.ncsu.edu.

CLEANING(continued from page 11)

CEILING(continued from page 14)


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