August 2008 Edition

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Tips on Garden Photography

How to Make Your Photos Look as Good as Your Garden

There’s something about the ethereal space under a blossoming cherry tree. Like many of the joys of gardening, it’s a feeling that lasts only for a few days a year and then is gone. But there is a way to capture some of the beauty and power that come and go with the earliest cherry blossoms and the last golden leaves of autumn: photography. It will help you preserve the beauty that you love—and share it with your friends—and give you new ways of seeing, and loving, your garden.

With a basic understanding of the fundamentals of photography, you can take stunning photographs of your garden. Keep in mind that garden photography isn’t all about gardens; it’s about light. The word “photog­raphy” means writing with light, and finding the best light to show off your garden is the key to making beautiful pictures.

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Laying a Brick Path

Thinking of a new look for your walkways? Brick is an elegant and lasting material.

by Jennifer Stimpson, This Old House magazine

When crossing your muddy yard to fetch the daily paper turns into an obstacle course of slips and slides, perhaps it's time to think about an alternative path - literally. Instead of sinking up to your ankles in the name of the morning stock report, take a weekend to lay a brick walkway. The formal pavers will not only provide a clean and sturdy lane for visitors approaching your front door but they’ll also add style to your landscape and value to your home.

Creating a successful path that can survive the elements depends on three things: the bricks, the border, and the base.

For the bricks, choose ones that are rated for severe weather (SW), often referred to as "clay pavers." These will not only stand up to the seasons but will also take a lot of foot traffic without cracking. The size of the bricks is determined in part by the pattern you choose. Modern "modular" brick measures 8 by 4 inches, and a well-designed walkway is between 3 and 4 feet wide (allowing two people to walk side by side). There are also old-fashioned "standard bricks," whose length is more than twice¼ inch wide to create a sturdy surface and inhibit weeds from growing in between—the tighter the better.

An integral part of every pattern is the border that keeps the bricks in place. Temporary 1x4 guide rails can hold everything in as you lay the bricks. But you still need a permanent border, traditionally created by bricks turned on end. If they are positioned on their short ends (this is called a "sailor course" if they're edge to edge, or a "soldier course" if they're face to face like dominoes), they can be buried deep enough to provide the necessary support. Turned on their long edge (called "drunken soldier"), however, as with the Colonial Williamsburg pattern shown in this process, the bricks won't have enough purchase in the ground to hold the path together. In that case, you'll need to keep everything in place with garden edging that extends at least 6 inches below grade.

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Tomatillo Gazpacho

ingredients

One 14-oz. can low-salt chicken broth
1 lb. tomatillos (8 to 12 medium), husked, rinsed, and cut into medium dice (3 cups)
1 medium clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium avocados, cut into small dice (1-1/2 cups)
1/2 seedless English cucumber, cut into small dice (2 cups)
1/2 large red bell pepper, cut into small dice (1/2 cup)
1/4 small red onion, finely diced (1/4 cup)
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice; more as needed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the broth in a 3-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the tomatillos and garlic, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and let simmer until the tomatillos are cooked through but still hold their shape, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes, and then carefully purée the mixture in a blender along with the olive oil. Pour the purée into a nonreactive 9x13-inch pan and refrigerate to cool quickly.

When the purée has cooled, remove the pan from the refrigerator and stir in the avocado, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Before serving, taste and adjust the seasoning with more lime juice, salt, and pepper, as needed. Spoon the gazpacho into individual serving bowls or mugs.

 More Recipes here >>>

What Does Green Really Mean?

Rising energy costs, climate change, and a new social conscience are complicating the way we build

Green building is a wide-ranging, complex topic, and "green" is one of the key buzzwords in the building field today. Contributing editor Scott Gibson takes a look at the complicated definition of what building green means now. A big variety of local and regional programs make green building hard to standardize, but green has some key goals, including a tight building envelope, low energy consumption, minimal site disturbance, water conservation, solar orientation, water and energy efficiency, the use of recycled materials, and healthful indoor-air quality. Gibson also discusses the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, which requires third-party verification for a building to achieve green status. The article includes five case studies for houses in a variety of locations (such as urban, rural, mountain) and highlights the qualities that make each house green. Continue>>>

We have ten inspectors on staff to meet your scheduling needs. This is quite different from the individual, owner-operator home inspection company that most consumers have become accustomed to. In that light, HouseMaster inspectors receive training and support that is unavailable to many others in our industry.  Licensed and Insured? Absolutely. We regard licensing requirements as minimum standards and aspire to exceed those minimums.

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