Spring Spruce Up 2015

March 2015 THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE - Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com Page C3

By Noelle M. Hood, Contributing Writer

Quick! How many soil types exist within the boundaries of the great state of Texas? You win the jackpot if you said 1,411. That was at last count, anyway.

Weather, live plants and animals break up local bedrock deposits and organic matter to produce soil, the stuff in which gardens thrive

or fail. Out in far west Texas where there are few plants, animals and little water, the soil is top heavy with minerals and air, but light on organic matter and water. The situation is just the opposite deep in the Caddo Lake swamplands.

Half of ideally fertile native soil consists of equal portions of broken down rock and decomposing plants and animals. The other half of that ideal dirt pile is equal parts of air, water, microbes and macrobes (live bugs and worms) in the empty spaces.

Compare decomposition of organic materials to a fire. Add air to raise the temperature and speed up decomposition, or splash on water to cool down or slow the process. There’s a reason we say life burns up in the desert and drowns in the swamp.

In Texas decomposable matter, organic stuff, runs anywhere from .5% to a full 5% of soil volume. Paragraph 3 above says that needs to be about 25%. Unless you’ve purchased a plot in The Garden of Eden, more than likely you’ll need to tinker with the decomposition fuel for the fire in your plot of earth in order to grow happy plants.

The bad news is there is no one-size-fits-all formula for fertile soil because the amount of minerals, organic matter, air, water and animal life in a cubic foot of local ground

depends on (a) available fuel - what has already lived and died there, (b) the speed of that fuel’s decomposition which is affected by cultivation which adds air to the soil, (c) rainfall, and (d) drainage. Remember: air, composed of warm gases, and water, semi-solid cooled gases cannot occupy the same space. Ask any drowning man.

American pioneers cleared forests and plains to find virgin soils high in organic matter after who knows how many uncultivated centuries. Much of North America is blessed with plentiful rainfall and good drainage so the place was, and in many ways still is, a farmer’s dream come true.

Where cotton reigned as king of crops, planters grew until they exhausted the supply of topsoil then moved west. The vast southern swath of arable land mostly petered out around the DFW area.

With the breakup of cotton plantations sharecroppers eked life out of smaller plots, and later with the aid of synthetic fertilizers squeezed the remaining life from tired local ground.

Dry, exhausted ground is the problem facing many suburban north central Texas gardeners today. Dig a shovel full of your proposed garden site. Top soil is a dark brown to black layer of crumbly dirt right on top. Crumbly is the operative word there. Black clay doesn’t crumble.

If you’ve ever seen the plant size and produce volumes that emerge from ideally fertile earth, you understand the cure for a problem local garden is probably soil reclamation.

The good news for backyard gardeners is we can start small. By small means are great things brought to pass, so bring on the compost in the amount of a 40-pound bag for each square foot of new planting space. Active beds lose about 3” of depth in a season, so regularly replacing lost soil is a gardener’s most important chore.

Contact Noelle M. Hood at [email protected]

Gardening:Lone Star StateNative Soils

A Neighbor You Can Trust!

Insured and Bonded

214-676-8575www.yourhandymandfw.com

Please check out our Facebook page for specials!

New LED light bulbs are energy efficient, come in a variety of colors and the bulbs are now dimmable. But when was the last time you checked the label when purchasing light bulbs?

The Lighting Facts Label required by the 2007 Ener-gy Independence and Security Act (EISA) looks more like a nutritional information label than something you would find in a home improvement store. The new la-bels are meant to simplify our understanding of the new energy efficient light bulbs, but have confused more

than clarified the facts. So, let’s break it down. Each label requires the following information:

Brightness – Previously, we could equate brightness

with watts; a 100 watt bulb is brighter than a 40 watt bulb. However, watts technically measure power and not brightness. Actual brightness is now indicated in lumens, which is a measure of visible light from a sin-gle source. For instance:

40-watt incandescent bulb = 450 lumens60-watt incandescent bulb = 800 lumens100-watt incandescent bulb = 1600 lumens

Estimated Yearly Energy Cost – Energy costs are calculated in kilowatt-hours (kWh). To get the kWh, take the wattage of the device, multiply by the number of hours you use it, and divide by 1000. Looking at this label: 10 (wattage) x 1095 (3 hours per day/365

days) ÷ 1000 x .11 (National Average of kWh costs) = $1.20 in Estimated Yearly Energy Costs compared to the $7.23 it would cost to operate a standard 60 watt incandescent bulb for a year.

Life Span – How long will this bulb last before I have to spend money to re-place it? In this case, it is 23 years. A standard 60 watt incandescent bulb will last approximately one year under the same conditions.

Light Appearance – Not to be confused with brightness, Light Appearance is measured using the Kelvin temperature scale. Temperature translates into col-or. Think of it this way; a fire or flame starts out yellow/orange/red at the base or lower temperature (warm colors) and the temperature is higher where the flames are blue/violet/white (cool colors). The new LED bulbs are available from 2700k (warm) to 3000k (cool). So you can actu-ally have a bright, warm white bulb or a dim, bright white bulb.

Energy Used – Measured in watts, LED


Labels Shed Light on Your Perfect BulbBy Tami Church, TLC Electrical

(940)464-7555 www.premiersurfacegroup.com

We sell and install premier flooring and countertop surfaces,

including wood, tile, laminate, carpet, granite, marble, & more.

Come visit our new showroom!100 Country Club Rd, St. 114

Argyle, TX 76226 Mention this ad for 10% off!

!"#$%&'"()$*!"'$+,,$*

!"#$%&'()&&*+#&,#&

-./()0.1&2314#&5601(&*7''10(*&1.*/#&

!8#%%9*+#&,#&:3*/.11(;&<0/6&

6(.=4&'.;&>0?0/(;&@?(&2A()#&

-"'().*/'"0)'1#)*2"&3%(4"%5*

!BCC&:3*/.11(;&DC&*+#&,#&?.E0?7?&

>0?0/(;&@?(&2A()#&

-)'"67&*/74)*

!C#%%&'()&&*+#&,#&

-./()0.1&2314#&&&5601(&*7''10(*&1.*/#&

8'"#7.)*-,9#.)'.,(%*

!"%&9&*+#&,#&:3*/.11(;&

&&&&&&>0?0/(;&&@?(&2A()#&

See LED Page C5


bulbs use significantly less energy than a standard incan-descent bulb. Here it takes 10 watts to equal the bright-ness output of a 60 watt bulb. With less energy running through a 10 watt bulb, it is cooler to the touch than a 60 watt bulb (100F vs. 260F). This can make a difference in cooling cost during the hot summer months.

The initial cost is approximately $15.00 for the LED bulb. Incandescent bulbs cost an average of $1.60, but availability is limited to existing stock. This price is ex-

pected to increase over time until supplies are exhaust-ed. An average three bedroom home uses 47 bulbs. At today’s energy costs, your investment in new LED bulbs

will pay for itself in as little as two years and you will see significant energy savings in as little as three years.

This savings formula can be applied to all LED light-

ing in your home or business. Call TLC Electrical to-day for your free energy analysis.

Visit TLC Electrical at www.tlcelectrical.com or call 817-424-2684.

LEDContinued from C4

www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

Your Community.

Your News.ctgazetteLike us at:


New water heater efficiency standards will take effect soon and may end up hit-ting homeowners with an unexpected (and costly) expense.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) regulations increase energy efficiency for residential water heaters, but will also mean higher costs and concerns for homeowners with two-story houses

In 2010, the DOE announced manda-tory standards changes to be in effect by April 16, 2015. As a result, prices will be up to 50% higher for new units accord-

ing to manufactures, and larger sizes will cause problems for homeowners with water heaters in the attic.

According to DOE, changes to resi-dential water heaters will save approxi-mately 3.3 quads of energy and result in approximately $63 billion in energy bill savings for products shipped from 2015-2044. The standard will avoid about 172.5 million metric tons of carbon di-oxide emissions, equivalent to the an-nual greenhouse gas emissions of about 33.8 million automobiles.

Concerns for Homeowners in south-ern Denton County: Jamie Wooldridge, President of Berkeys Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electrical in Southlake said, “The changes are great for ener-gy efficiency, but homeowners need to know the costs will be higher.”

“Besides higher prices,” O’Neill con-tinues, “there’s also the very real poten-tial for significant costs associated with plumbing or construction modifications if a homeowner’s water heater is in the attic.”

Until now, most water heaters fit through the attic opening without a problem. But adding two extra inches to the width and height will make it very difficult, if not impossible to get a new DOE approved 40-50 gallon tank into the attic, which in our area, is the most common place for two story homes. So homeowners with water heaters in the attic will be faced with four basic op-tions when it comes time to replace their

Homeowners may be in hot water with new water heater regulations

See WATER HEATERS Page C15


Stephen Bender and his partners believe in going the extra mile for customers when it comes to helping them decide what they want for their outdoor spaces.

As the owner of Creative Boundaries in Coppell, Bender takes customers to locations around the region to see for themselves what he and his team can and will do.

“We do ride-a-logs with our customers,” he said. “We’ll drive them around Coppell to show our work to let them touch it, feel it, see it.”

It’s that focus on customer service that has kept Creative Boundaries in a thriving business for the past 15 years.

When a customer walks into the door, they can see a showroom filled with tiles, plaster and coping samples that provide a handy visual when contemplating what they want in an outdoor space – whether for a kitchen, patio area or a fireplace setting.

Another aspect that makes Creative Boundaries stand apart from its competitors is a willingness to educate the customer about what they are looking for, what prospective costs could be and how they can get the most for their money.

For instance, Bender will educate customers about the differences between an outdoor fireplace and an outdoor fire pit – both the pluses and the minuses of each. He’ll explain the cost differentials between a granite-topped outdoor countertop and natural stone countertops.

And while an outdoor kitchen might seem quite the luxury, it’s really very affordable, Bender says, adding that a 10-foot countertop might run in the neighborhood of $4,000, depending on materials used.

From working in landscape as a youngster, Bender has long had a love of outdoor spaces. And he brings that background to the table along with partners such as longtime custom home builder Ronnie Bivans and Dewain Martin, a specialist in pool service and maintenance.

Creative Boundaries also works with several local businesses to provide specialty services in pool building as well as landscaping to offer customers a full-service, one-stop-shop for their outdoor needs.

Contact Creative Boundaries at 972-869-3333.

Creative Boundaries

Creative Boundaries, owned by Stephen Bender (far right), provides a full slate of services for anyone looking to add outdoor areas to their homes – from enclosed patios attached to your home to outdoor kitchens, pools, landscaping and more.


Lowest Prices of Ready Seal Stains

Always Stocked with All 7 Colors

HOA Approved

SUPER SOURCE1440 State Hwy 121Suite 11Lewisville, TX 75067972-221-3834supersourcestainsupply.com

Wood Looking Tired?Then SUPER SOURCE has what you need!

www.LantanaRVBoatStorage.com

Your Neighborhood Storage Place!

(located at E. Hickory Hill Road & Hilltop Road)

1 Month FREE to New Customers!

New 40 ft Covered Now Available - Call or Come By Today to Reserve Yours!

972-219-0353ragmops.net

because she is worth it

INSTANTLY SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE


9067 Teasley Lane

A new shop in Southern Denton County next to Guyer High School caters to barbecue enthusiasts.

Lance Hill recently opened Grill This BBQ Supply at 9067 Teasley Lane to bring just about everything a barbecue cook could want under one roof.

The shop is stocked with everything from barbecue grills large and small, rubs, sauces, tongs, different types of wood pellets for smokers, the oft coveted Green Egg and more. And speaking of Green Egg, Grill This BBQ has the largest selection of Green Eggs and accessories.

With more than 25 different manufacturers, the grill section of the store ranges from coal and gas grills to portable propane and built-in barbecue grills.

“We have everything from the low end to the high end,” he said.

Barbecuing has long been something Hill enjoys.

“Grilling has always been a hobby of mine,” Hill said, adding he also plans to offer weekend barbecues and grilling courses for those who want to learn more about the art of grilling.

The store, he said, is a way to bring everything he enjoys under one roof.

“Grill This BBQ is the only one-stop-shop for all of your grilling needs,” Hill said.

A peek at his Facebook site, https://www.facebook.com/grillthisbbq, reveals his dedication to barbecuing.

One recent night, he cited grilling cedar plank salmon and rack of lamb on a Green Egg. On another evening, it was pork shoulders on a pellet smoker filled with apple and hickory wood.

That weekend barbecue he mentioned? It’s free. Hope to see you there.

Call Grill This BBQ Supply at 940-484-4547.

Grill This BBQ Supply

An assortment of the coveted Green Eggs and all of the accessories are readily available at Grill This BBQ at 9067 Teasley Lane in Denton.


March can definitely be considered a wildcard when it comes to trying to predict the weather; you never know if school is going to be shut down with a couple inches of ice on the ground or if it’s going to be 70 degrees and sunny.

There are some things we can keep in mind either way when it comes to our plant maintenance to ensure we have our bases covered. So whether you’re hunkered down try-ing to stay warm or sitting out on the patio enjoying a spring-like day, the following information will help you achieve a better looking landscape this spring.

Plant management is one of the most important topics when it comes to maintaining a healthy landscape. Natu-ral pruning techniques promote the natural beauty of the shrubs, trees and groundcovers in your landscape.

“Plant rejuvenation” is in basically a heavy pruning of the plant that is typically performed through the late win-ter and early spring months.

Why perform a “pre-spring cut back”?1) To revitalize a regularly maintained shrub. When shrubs are continually trimmed the plant becomes very exhausted and barrel looking, flowers are continually being removed never giving the plant/ shrub a chance to rest in its natural growth cycle.2) To keep the plants contained with-in their budgeted space without having to continually trim them. Replac-ing plants in this situation is also an option but when you don’t have to why would you?3) Rejuvenating the planting by removing older growth and leaving younger healthier structure. This helps to promote flowering since most flowering shrubs bloom better on 1-year-old growth or newer.

What should my expectations be with doing the “pre-spring cut back”?

Typically in the first 30 days you will see new growth appear. As we start into spring and summer, you will be-gin to see more and more flowers on several of the differ-ent shrubs and groundcovers.

Summer is the growing season for a majority of the plants, so this is the time that we want to help control the growth through the use of “selective pruning.”

Selective pruning is a method of only pruning the un-wanted growth from the plant. This would include awk-ward growth, crossing branches and deadwood. The goal is to keep the natural look of the planting and help pro-mote flowering. Please remember that pruning is an in-vigorating process and is one of the most important parts of managing your landscape.

Call Complete Exterior Solutions at 214-735-1363 or visit them at www.c-exteriors.com

Spring Into Action With Timely Plant Pruning By PJ Kratohvil, Complete Exterior Solutions

If your air conditioner breaks down, there’s a money-saving GoodmanR brand air conditioning system with a financing plan that’s perfect for your budget!

10 Year Parts and Labor Warranty!

Air Conditioning & Heating

COOL AND COMFORTABLE


Professional Organizers don’t just clear closets… Free yourself from embarrassment and stress

Yes, the garage and deep coat closet are yearning to be purged and sorted but what about the thing you

touch every day and without it you would be lost? This spring, fling open the win-dows, let in the fresh air and clean out your computer!

Here are some helpful hints to computer or-ganizing. Set a timer and work in 20-minute bursts. You will be more pro-ductive and less likely to check Facebook 30 times.

Mass Culling:Run a search in your email for things

you tend to ignore or are out of date, for example, jokes from Aunt Linda and flash sale emails. Now delete all in the search.

Clear the desktop:Is your computer slow? You may have

too many items saved to the desktop. To quickly clear it, create a folder on the Desktop called “Desktop Cleanup (Date)”. Drag everything into the folder and from there you can file things ac-cordingly. This can help with visual noise, which can cause stress.

Photo bomb:Photos are the last things anyone or-

ganizes. If we have them saved we feel secure but try and find a specific photo and you can quickly go down the rab-bit hole for hours. Create a “Year” folder with month folders inside. Don’t bother

trying to name every pic.

Tab Elimina-tion:

If you tend to keep too many tabs open, your computer will slow down and

eventually the browser will crash. You generally can’t see what the tabs are once you go beyond 8 and there’s that visual noise again.

Try a 20-minute block once a week and in no time you will have a smooth running system. These tasks will aid in the health of your computer as well as your mental health!

Call Never Enough Time at 914-620-2399.

Digital Spring Clean By Julia RogersProfessional OrganizerNever Enough Time

Try a 20-minute block once a week and in no time you will have a smooth running system. These tasks will aid in the health of your computer as well as your mental health!


(StatePoint) Do you know what ingre-dients are in the cleaning products you buy? Probably not, as there are no fed-eral governmental regulations requiring companies to disclose their contents. But harsh chemicals can take their toll on the indoor air quality of your home, are harmful to the environment and may irritate eyes and skin.

So how can you learn more about the cleaning products you plan to purchase? Luckily, certain retailers are making it easier for consumers to make informed decisions. For example, in 2011 Whole Foods Market introduced the Eco-Scale Rating System, which are the first household cleaner standards offered by

a retailer. This season, don’t just spring clean

your home; take stock of your cleaners and clean up your entire act. By opting for green cleaning products, you can help make your home a safer, healthier place. Here’s how:

• Do an audit: Take a look at the clean-ing products you currently own. Just because a brand or product is well known does not make it a healthy option. A quick Internet search can reveal the safety attributes of a prod-uct’s ingredients -- so long as the manufacturer has chosen to disclose ingredients. Toss anything problem-

Are Your Spring CleaningProducts Safe?

PHOTO SOURCE: (c) Konstantin Yuganov - Fotolia.com

See CLEANING PRODUCTS Page C15

Your home is your castle. We will clean it that way.

Carol and Henry Twyman are originally from the UKand established Imperial Maid Service in 2004 to bring a touch of English class to your home.

All our maids are screened, reliable and uniformed. We provide all safe non-toxic cleaning materials.

NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY

$20 OFF Each Of Your First 3 Cleans

Call 972-221-1787

for a free personalized

estimate.

ImperialMaidService.com


water heater:1. Replace the water heater with a small-er unit2. Modify the width of the attic opening3. Relocate the water heater from the attic to the garage or other location in home4. Convert to a tankless water heater

Homeowners who are concerned about increased prices and possible construc-tion modification issues, and who know they should replace their water heater within the next year, should do it quickly before all current models are no longer available, and the only option will be to purchase the newer models. Manufac-tures have already stopped producing the older models in order to be in full com-pliance by April 16, 2015 deadline.

Homeowners should request assis-tance from a local, licensed plumber to help determine the best solutions and op-tions for their home.

Water HeatersContinued from C6

Is the green in your lawn weeds or grass? Do you have brown circles in your yard? Proper lawn care mainte-nance is a key component to a healthy lawn.

The Flower Mound Public Library will host a Lawn Care Maintenance seminar at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 23, presented by Patrick Dickinson of the Texas A&M AgriL-ife Research and Extension Center at Dallas.

The program covers basic lawn maintenance practices and selecting the right turf grass to improve the health and longevity of your land-scape. You will learn how to maintain your landscape using less water, fer-tilizer and pesticides.

To register, email [email protected] or call 972-874-6165.

Library to host lawn maintenance seminar

atic and make a shopping list of what you need to replace.• Full disclosure: Avoid cleaning products that don’t disclose what ingredients they use. Look for brands, such as 365 Everyday Value, that make it easy for you to know what ingredients are being used in the product you’re purchasing.• Be informed: Know what ingredients to avoid en-tirely. Harsh ingredients like formaldehyde and chlo-rine can still be found in cleaning products today. Don’t know where to start? Take a look at the list of more than 40 ingredients that aren’t allowed in Whole Foods Market’s cleaning products, including chlorine, formaldehyde, phosphates, phthalates and triclosan.• Lock-up: No matter the contents of your cleaners, it’s good practice to keep them stored in a safe place, such as a locked cabinet. Young children and pets should not be able to access your cleaning products

supply.• Do it yourself: A quick and easy way to know exact-ly what’s in your cleaning products is to make them yourself. Luckily, only a few inexpensive ingredients are needed to make your own all-purpose cleaner. Simply mix one part water with one part vinegar, add a few drops of your favorite pure essential oil, and you have an all-purpose spray. Baking soda is anoth-er great cleaner that has a mild scrubbing power and helps combat odors.Don’t have the time to make your own cleaner? The

Eco-Scale Rating system evaluates products for envi-ronmental impact, safety, efficacy, source, labeling and animal testing. Visit WholeFoodsMarket.com/ecoscale to learn more.

If you’re using conventional cleaning supplies, you may be exposing your family to harmful ingredients. By learning more about the products you use, you can green your spring cleaning, for a healthier home.

Cleaning ProductsContinued from C14


earthkindservices.comEarth Kind Services

Safe for your family and pets

Invigorates Tired Lawns

Builds healthy soil

CompostLawn Treatment

$35 OFFExpires 3/31/15

Watch our videos

onlineto see us in action

Compost is nature’s way of keeping the soil in balance.

The soil in our area can be a challenge to grow plants. It can be extreme, rang-ing from clay to sand. Drought conditions in re-cent years have also taken a toll on landscapes in our area.

Compost is one way to im-prove plant health long term and reduce stress to plants.

The National Compost Council re-cently stated, “Healthy soil is a living material, ideally filled with beneficial microorganisms ... including Bacteria, Algae, Fungi, and Protozoa.” These mi-croorganisms “keep your soil healthy, decompose organic matter, replenish soil nutrients, form humus, promote root growth, increase nutrient uptake, and break down herbicides and pesticides.” These little guys perform amazing feats, all of that goes on in our soil!

How, though, do we help those essen-

tial microbes in our soil? One way is by providing organic matter or compost. It’s a simple process - organic matter provides food for the microorganisms in the soil and they, in turn, break that down releasing nutrients like nitrogen into the soil. These are essential whether you use organic or synthetic fertilizers to feed your plants. There must be healthy microorganisms in the soil to release the nutrients to the roots. Macroorganisms

such as earth-worms love or-ganic matter too.

Compost is one of the best things to keep your soil healthy in your garden and landscape. It loosens up com-

pacted soil, it adds nutrients to the soil, and it retains water so you can water less. Lawns can benefit greatly from a top dressing with organic compost after a core aeration.

So do your soil a favor, feed it, it’s alive. Create a better plant root environ-ment. Healthy plants come from healthy roots.

Contact Earth Kind Services at (469) 744-0281 or www.earthkindservices.com

Conquer Denton County Soils by CompostingBy Beau Propes, Earth Kind Services

Compost is one of the best things to keep your soil healthy in your garden and landscape. It loosens up compacted soil, it adds nutri-ents to the soil, and it retains water so you can water less.

Spring Spruce Up 2015

Documents

Transcript of Spring Spruce Up 2015