2012 Home & Garden

HOME & GARDEN THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 201216 THE DAILY IBERIAN

A product of

Action outside keeps pests fromgett ing inside

...Pg 3

Coyote urine an eco-friendly way to keep pests out of fl owerbed

...Pg 9

Lots more ideas inside

HomeARDENG 2 0 1 22 0 1 2

&&

NOW HIRING!Join the best team in the industry!

Bob’s Tree Preservation, which specializes in tree care, conservation and preservation, is now taking applications for qualified sales technicians, for hi-quality,

Eco-friendly tree care, removals, soil-care and specialized large tree - planting.

We are your only complete source of organic pesticides, herbicide sprays,weed killers, fertilizers, along with organic tree, shrub and soil conditioners.

Email resume to bobstree.com or acornsofhope.orgor mail to

Bob’s Tree Preservation Co.740 S. Main Street, Church Point, LA 70525

Potted plants can go longer before beingplanted out in their permanent location— as long as you keep the potting soilmoist. The nursery’s job, in this case, is topack the plants to arrive at your doorstepwith their stems undamaged and theirsoil intact.

Some nurseries have mastered the art ofpacking and shipping live plants. Openinga shipping box of their neatly nestled,happy plants gladdens any plant lover’seyes.

Size mattersWhether you are ordering a bare-root

or potted plant — even if you are buyinglocally — do not always opt for the largestone you can buy.

Large, bare-root plants often suffermore in digging and transit. Large pottedplants often have their roots cramped andtwisted into undersize pots. In eithercase, growth of a smaller plant mightoutstrip growth of a larger one after a

couple of years.There is something satisfying about

walking into a nursery on a balmy springday, drinking in the bright colors, thesmells, the riot of greenery and textures,then buying a plant.

But if a local nursery does not have thetype or quality you desire, buy mail-order.

TRAVEL: Arriving at your doorstepFROM PAGE 2 ON THE ’ N E T

http://leereich.blogspot.com/

http://leereich.com/

Some nurseries have masteredthe art of packing and shipping live plants.

SOAP: Repeated treatments are needed

diseases, soaps are contact poisons, effec-tive only as long as target organisms arewet.

This is both good and bad.Sprayed perennial weeds often have

enough energy stored in their roots toresprout, so they need repeated treat-ment. Hand weeding just might prove eas-ier.

Similarly, repeated treatments areneeded to kill insects that hatch fromeggs on treated plants to get each flushof hatchlings. Soaps have no effect oninsect eggs.

On the plus side, beneficial ladybugsand lacewings hanging around house-plants and garden plants usually haveenough time to up and fly away beforebeing doused with a soap spray. Once thespray dries, all harm has passed and theycan return.

For maximum effectiveness, sprayeither weeds or garden plants with soapwhen the weather is overcast or cool, and

drying is slowed.The best water for mixing up a soap

solution is soft water, just as for bathing;rainwater is ideal. And once the soap isdissolved, no more shaking is needed —further shaking might cause too muchfoaming.

Avoid spraying a stressed or bloomingplant.

Finally, thoroughly douse whateverplant you spray so that, to reiterate Mr.Andrew Jackson Downing’s advice of 167years ago, the soap “penetrates all thecrevices.”

FROM PAGE 5

For maximum effectiveness,spray either weeds or gardenplants with soap when theweather is overcast or cool,

and drying is slowed.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

When Carol Maurer has a lot onher plate, she finds it useful tovisit the labyrinth made of

river rocks at the Delaware Art Museum,in Wilmington.

“It quiets my mind,” said Maurer, wholives in Hockessin, Del. “It sets the pathfor me so I can spiral inward.”

Labyrinths, which have been construct-ed for thousands of years, have become apopular addition to hospitals, gardensand public institutions.

With a single path in and out,labyrinths are designed to encouragereflection. They differ from mazes, whichare designed as puzzles. Labyrinths havebeen associated with religions and cul-tures throughout the world.

The number of labyrinths in the UnitedStates has been steadily increasing forabout 15 years, said Robert Ferre, alabyrinth builder who founded LabyrinthEnterprises.

“Nowadays they’re so widespread, it’smore about how to best utilize them thanwhat they are,” he said from San Antonio,Texas. When he started the business in1995, churches were his primary cus-tomers. Labyrinths were an importantfeature of European Roman Catholicchurches in the Middle Ages; walking onewas a devotional activity and representeda spiritual journey.

The most famous remaining labyrinthfrom that period is at Chartres Cathedral,near Paris. Many newer labyrinths arebased on the Chartres pattern.

They can be constructed of turf orstone or painted on pavement.

Today, labyrinths are widely used in sec-ular spaces too, said Maurer, who serves onthe board of The Labyrinth Society, anorganization dedicated to using and pro-moting the paths. She helped get thelabyrinth built near the sculpture gardenat the Delaware Art Museum.

“People are looking for ways to travelinward,” she said. “They’re trying to finda deeper connection with themselves thatmay be spiritual but not necessarily reli-gious.”

It’s even possible for homeowners tobuild labyrinths themselves in their yard,with rock, gravel or mulch, Ferre said.Plans are available online or through hiscompany.

Patricia Cadle, the oncology chaplain atN.C. Cancer Hospital in Chapel Hill, N.C.,encourages patients, family members andhospital employees to walk a labyrinth.

The medical facility dedicated an out-door labyrinth in 2009, and just completedan indoor one this month (February).“It’s a great tool for meditation and relax-ation,” Cadle said.

“Labyrinths can help connect the mind,the body and the spirit. I think we can usethat when we’re dealing with disease.”

Allegany College of Maryland inCumberland built a labyrinth in 2005 as

part of its integrative health program,which focuses on holistic approaches tohealing. The walking path has becomewidely used on campus, said Cherie Snyder,a professor and director with the program.

“Many of the faculty here have incorpo-rated it into their teaching,” she said.

The community, initially unsure of thelabyrinth, also has put it to good use, shesaid.

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

People often stare in disbelief when Isuggest buying a plant from a nurs-ery thousands of miles away. Surely

no plant could survive such a journey!Not so. This time of year, trucks and

airplane holds are filled with plants onthe move. If shipped from reputable nurs-eries, they thrive as well as plants pur-chased locally.

Buyer bewareThat “if” is a big one. Quality costs

money, so beware of any nursery offeringsuper-bargains or horticultural hype.

For instance, you might see a magazinead or catalog listing for a plant describedas a “climbing vine peach.” Be aware thatthis plant’s fruits might look like peachesbut are tasteless by comparison. This “vinepeach” isn’t even distantly related to a realpeach.

And just because a nursery offers an“ironclad guarantee” does not make it rep-

utable. Some disreputable nurseries offersuch guarantees but bank on customers’apathy or their forgetting about suchclaims when spring melts into summer.

A few rotten fruits do not ruin the wholebarrel, though: Many mail-order nurseriessell quality plants and also have strongguarantees. Just read between the lines ofany nursery ad, catalog or website to deter-mine if the business seems reputable, anddo your research about the plants.

Bare root or potted?Mail-order plants are shipped either

potted or bare root. “Bare root” soundsbrutal, but plants do fine shipped thisway if handled properly by the nurseryand you.

The nursery’s job is to dig the plantswhile they are leafless, except in the caseof small evergreens, then keep them coolwith their roots swathed in moist peat,sawdust, shredded newspaper or othermoist, spongy material. Years ago, Ireceived a small, bare-root bush cherry

plant that had been just tossed into a plas-tic bag; no wonder it never grew.

Your job is to unpack any bare-root plantsoon after its arrival, check that the rootsare still moist, then put it in the groundposthaste. If you cannot plant immediately,keep the plant cool and moist by putting itin your refrigerator with its roots wrappedin plastic, or by temporarily planting it in ashallow hole at a shady, moist location.

HOME & GARDEN THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 20122 THE DAILY IBERIAN HOME & GARDEN THE DAILY IBERIAN 15THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

We’re Here To Help...Call Us!

Dan Doerle

Turn to the Experts

Doerle’s Heating & Cooling1320 E. Main St., New Iberia

Phone (337) 367-2511

40 YearsOf Service

Furniture • TVs • AppliancesNEW IBERIA

337-365-6657603-G WEST ADMIRAL DOYLE

OUTSIDE NEW IBERIA CALL 1-800-526-2771 HOME FURNISHINGS • CLOCK REPAIRS • TENT RENTALS

FURNITURE HOURS:9AM - 6PM – MON-FRI • 9AM - 2PM – SAT

GROCERY • DELI • BAKERY7AM - 8PM – MON-SAT• 7AM - 2PM – SUN

www.freminsfoodandfurniture.com

Advanced Comfort, Cushion Firm Support

Insight $1299 QueenSet

Twin XL Set $899.00Full Set $1099.00King Set $1699.00

Plus Comfort, Extra Firm Support

Genius $1599 QueenSet


FINANCINGAVAILABLE

LAYAWAYSAVAILABLE

RELIEVE THOSE SWOLLEN LEGS AND FEET...SLEEP BETTER AND LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFE!

FLEX-A-BED GIVES YOU THE REST POSTURE THAT REFRESHES

IN MINUTES.

ASTHMA AND HIATAL HERNIA PATIENTS

AWAKE FRESH WITHOUT THAT MORNING BACKACHEPush-Button ComfortFlex-A-Bed...a new way to fight aches and pains! It adjusts automatically!HONEST SAVINGS DELIVERY + SERVICESOLD ONLY BY LOCAL EXCLUSIVE DEALERS

15 YEAR WARRANTY

First National

EST. 1905

1. Get price for N

ew Roof!

2. Call about r

eplacing AC un

it ! !

3. Get bids fr

om painters !!

4. New appliances

?? ?

5. *Call First Nati

onal Bank

337-276-369

2

For loan -

Turn your“To-Do” list

into a“DONE” list.

–

I ND EX

They come from outside

What’s origin of pesky indoor bugs ........ PAGE 3

Wash behind the leaves

Soap sprays drive pests away .................. PAGE 5

Keep home cool, costs down

Ways to keep energy bill low ................. PAGE 7

Bring on the beauty

Cultivate garden for wildlife ..................... PAGE 8

Coyote urine does the job

How to keep garden pest-free ................. PAGE 9

Phenology, anyone?

Plants cam tell you what to do ........... PAGE 11

Find a sitter for garden

Keep must-do list simple, though .......... PAGE 14

For peace of mind

Labyrinths become more popular ......... PAGE 15

Plants travel well this time of the year

Home & Garden is a supplemental publicationof The Daily Iberian, P.O. Box 9290,New Iberia, LA 70562.

Publisher..........................................................Will ChapmanManaging Editor................................................Jeff ZeringueAdvertising Manager................................................Alan RiniProduction Manager..........................................Jerry SextonBusiness Manager.........................................Amanda SenecaCirculation Manager....................................John “JP” Poirier

SEE TRAVEL, PAGE 16

Labyrinths designed to encourage reflection

ASSOCIATED PRESS

People walk a labyrinth at the Allegany College of Maryland in Cumberland, Md. Labyrinths are popular at hospitals, gardens and other public places.


Gardeners don’t have to remainhousebound during the vacationseason just because their edibles

and flowers need tending. Find a sitter tohandle the work.

Keep your must-do list simple, though.Few plant minders are willing to do win-dows or the laundry.

“The job depends upon what they havein their yards and how long they’ll begone,” said Caryn Sommersdorf, whooperates Green Garden Sitters inOrlando, Fla.

“A vegetable garden may need to bechecked every day. A flower garden, notso much.”

Sommersdorf and partner JenniferRichardson perform the typical seasonalgardening chores — weeding and water-ing, mowing and harvesting.

“We’ll also bring in the mail. Turn thelights off and on to make it look likesomebody’s home. We’ll fertilize andprune and care for our clients’ pets, too,”she said. “But we’re not going to clean orpaint the house.”

Sommersdorf got into the garden-sit-ting business a few years ago after ask-ing a friend to take care of her tomatoeswhile she was away.

“I asked her to water the plants, butshe didn’t think about picking them, andthe plants were a mess when I camehome,” she said.

“They had worms everywhere. Fruitflies. It took them a while to produceagain.” Reliable plant sitters can provide

peace of mind for vacationing garden-ers, Sommersdorf said. They also cansave them money.

“Florida has a lot of ‘snowbirds’ (winterresidents) who go away for half a yearand come back and all their landscapingis dead,” she said. “That’s quite an invest-ment lost.”

Gardeners going on vacation shouldcreate a chores checklist, and arrange foran interview and plant tour withprospective sitters well before departing.Show them where the hoses, pruners andother tools are kept and demonstrate howthey work. Offer up the edibles whenthey ripen, and point out your favoriteflowering plants to ensure they are notweeded out.

“Design a watering program. Group

your contain-er plants sothey’re easierto work with.Timers canbe great onhoses but besure you havesomeonearound whocan keep aneye on themfor you,” saidRobinHaglund,president ofGardenMentors Inc.in Seattle,who frequent-

ly is asked how to prep plants for trips.You may want to provide your own

supplies, too, such as fertilizers andpest-control products if you’re intoorganic gardening, she said. Garden sit-

ters also can serve as temporary man-agers of a property, said JackMcKinnon, who operates a businesscalled The Garden Coach in the SanFrancisco Bay Area.

“Some people hire maintenance servic-es for their yards,” he said.

“Some of these crews come at oddhours and need to be held accountable forwhat they do.”

McKinnon suggested a few ways to findgarden sitters: “Go online. Look for ads inthe paper under ‘Landscape Gardeners.’ Idoubt it’s all that difficult to find knowl-edgeable people looking for garden workin this economy.”

BY JESSICA GOFF

THE DAILY IBERIAN

They got in there somehow.That is what local and state experts on

indoor pests say about the many-legged,flying, hopping creepy crawlers that popup inside your home.

“Indoor insects come from the outside,”Kevin Sellers, who owns SugarlandExterminating in New Iberia.

Keeping away indoor pest starts withproperly caring for the exterior of yourhome, he said.

“Flower beds in the outside need to becleaned out annually,” he said. “Insectshide inside the soil over the winter suchincluding centipedes and millipedes.”

Trimming trees and shrubs away fromyour home or other buildings is also away to keep bug from working their wayinto there home, he said. Firewood piles

andother

debris attractedunwanted inhabi-tants such acockroaches,he said, andshould be keptaway from thehouse and elevated on firewood racks orsomewhere off the ground. Proper stepswhen landscaping such as establishing arock barrier at the foundation of yourhome can deter termites and other pestsfrom infiltrating your home, he said. Andtry not lay mulch up against the buildingfoundation.

“Centipedes, millipedes and cockroach-es will hide underneath in the mulch,” hesaid.

Always check with your termite treat-ment provider before installing flowerbeds, in case there is work that must bedone treat the foundation, Sellers said.

Sprinkler systems should also beinstalled pointing away from the wallsand foundation of the home, Sellers said.

“If a pest control product is put down

around the house, whether it’s granularor liquid, the sprinkler system will washit away,” he said.

Whether they are indoor or outdoorpest control products, be sure the read thelabels extremely carefully before use, LSUAgCenter Iberia Parish extension agentBlair Hebert said.

Making sure all water leaks are fixed


1006 #D Twenty Arpent Rd.,New Iberia

Ricky Bourque Cory Hebert

FOR ALL YOUR CAR & RESIDENTIALGLASS NEEDS

365-9311

FURNITURE TOPS, MIRRORS,FRAMELESS SHOWER DOORS & MORE

Home Improvement Sale!

3513 E. Old Spanish Trail, New Iberia

337-365-7225HOURS: MON-WED-FRI 11-6

PAINTPLASTIC ROLLERSMASKING TAPESEA SPONGE BRUSHESFLOOR COVERINGSLIGHT FIXTURESSTRIPPERSCLEANING PRODUCTSGREASE LIGHTNING

BULBSCOVERALLSMATTRESSESCLOTHINGLEATHER GOODSJACKETSBAGS100’S & 100’S OF ITEMS

A&

AAPPLIANCE CENTER65th

1947 2012ANNIVERSARY

1331 East Saint Peter St.New Iberia

337-364-0495

A&A APPLIANCE CENTER12 MONTHS

INTEREST FREE

FINANCINGTo qualified buyers

Ask Us About

Stop by and register for our65th Anniversary Give-Aways

(one entry per person)

1st Prize:Gas or Electric

(your choice of color)

Maytag Range(MER8880AS)

And more give-aways:Microwave, Toaster Oven & Toaster

Sale starts April 2nd

Specializing In Spider &Termite Control!

364-6927

Now Offering Mosquito Control!

We Wash, Dry, Fold & Iron

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEKLARGE MACHINES FOR COMFORTERS

WE USE

GAINDETERGENT

FLAT SCREENTVs FOR YOUR

ENTERTAINMENT

Open: 7 am - 9 pm

Drop off service 7 am - 12 pm • 4 pm -9 pm

812 E. Dale St., New Iberia • 367-3369

(Across from Post Office)

Care for exterior to keep inside pests away ‘If a pest control product is put down around the house,

whether it’s granular or liquid, the sprinkler system will washit away.’

Kevin Sellers

Sugarland Exterminating owner

HOME IMPROVEMENT?See The Daily Iberian

Business and Service Directoryfor local businesses that can help!

SEE INSIDE, PAGE 4

Going on vacation? Hire a ‘sitter’ to mind your garden

ASSOCIATED PRESS

This French flower bucket, with its selt-watering insert, makes thingsmuch easier if a gardener tends to be away a week or so. For longer peri-ods, consider hiring a garden sitter.

ON THE ’ N E T

FOR MORE ABOUT garden sitters, seethis University of Vermont ExtensionDepartment of Plant and Soil Science factsheet:http://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/jul99tips.htm

An unusual focal point is a gray, weath-er-beaten headboard.

“We used 100-year-old lumber takenfrom an old shack on my husband’saunt’s farm,” says Cunningham.

Redoing a bathroom in Ojai, Calif.,Kelley Davis-Motschenbacher used a time-worn pine table as a vanity, but droppedin a sleek modern washbowl and tap. Shefronted a new closet with a scraped-upvintage door, embellishing it with a cast-iron bird knocker. Glossy white subwaytiles and marble flooring blend with har-vest baskets and vintage artwork to makea luxurious yet homey bathroom that wasmostly sourced from garage sales, HomeDepot and the Internet.

Rie Sterling of Apex, N.C., is anotherModern Country blogger.

“One of the things I love about this styleis how unpretentious it is,” she says.“Nothing’s too precious, which is ideal ifyou have children. It’s hard to mess upsomething that’s already chipped or faded.”

She adds: “There’s a certain restfulnessabout it that appeals to so many, and it’srefreshingly attainable.” Garage sales,flea markets and online sites are goodsources for Country items, but you canalso find newly made pieces that evokethe vibe.

Dustin Glasscoe’s furniture studio,Vermont Farm Table, is filled with barstools, benches, dining tables and book-cases made of reclaimed pine. The patinaof the wood, coupled with Glasscoe’scraftsmanship, makes for furniture that’swarm and approachable.

“We’re really celebrating the true char-acter and qualities of the wood,” he says.

Urbanites may not have ready access tovintage goods, but the look’s easy to repli-cate with stuff from stores — Wisteria’siron cabinet bins and World Market’swoven reed baskets make great storage;IKEA’s got flat-woven, striped cotton rugs;Pottery Barn has antique glass picklingjars, wooden dough bowls and grain-sackthrow pillows.

Sandy Chilewich’s Faux Bois placematshave a digital image of a real wood plankprinted on Plynyl.

Schoolhouse Electric recreates early20th century light fixtures and iron bed-steads.

Repurposing is the watchword here:Put bath items in jars; magazines, towelsor toys in tubs or wooden crates; and turnthat great jam cupboard into a compacthome office. Add modern touches likeLucite chairs, a tailored pendant fixture,a lacquered Parsons table, or an accentwall painted in a bold hue.

If you’re looking for additional inspira-tion, check out Houzz.com. It’s a kind ofhome-design-centric Pinterest, wherehomeowners and professionals post pho-tographs, articles and advice; you’ll findgreat examples of Modern Country stylehere, as well as design help.


P.O. Box 9917 • New Iberia, LA 70562Out of Town: 800-303-2429

Kevin ViatorOwner & Operator

337-367-PESTProfessional Termite And Pest Control

FREE ESTIMATES

Recycling cans belong to the City of New Iberia. If you move, please leave them behind. Residents who need a recycling can may call the mayor’s office at City Hall 369-2300Option 1

ALUMINUM, TIN

& STEEL CANS

CARDBOARDCorrugated boxes and brown paperbags. Cardboard must be flattened.Remove all packaging materialsinside of boxes. Light-weight card-board, such as cake or tissue boxes areacceptable.

PLASTICAny plastic container with recycling symbol 1-7 stamped on bottom of container.

NEWSPAPER

GLASSClear, brown, green, and blue coloredglass bottles and jars only.

ASSORTED PAPERSComputer paper, office/school paper, junk mail,

magazines, catalogs, and telephone books.

TIRES, APPLIANCES, YARD WASTE

& LIGHT CONSTRUCTION DEBRISThese items will be picked up the day after your garbage iscollected. If Friday is your garbage day, yard waste and con-struction debris will be picked up on Monday. Please callGordon’s at 365-9034 with questions.

Materials should be placed parallel to the street, at curbside.Do not place debris on a concrete surfaceor within 5 feet of telephone poles ortrees. Do not put items on empty lots.Do not mix yard waste or constructiondebris with garbage. Householdappliances and regular size cartires will be collected.

Any work you contract for construction, remodeling, treeremoval, lot clearing, etc., is not covered under city contracts.Your contractor must provide proper disposal of all materials.The debris from the demolition of a home will not be collected.

YARD WASTE GUIDELINESBranches, tree limbs, trunks, shrubs, etc. will be collected. donot bundle. Leaves and grass clippings must be contained inplastic bags or garbage cans weighing less than 35 pounds.Mulch is available to the citizens of NewIberia Monday-Thursday 7am-5pm andFriday 7am-4pm at 614 Coteau Road(Hwy. 88 - Gordon’s Constructionand Landfill). 365-9034.

LIGHT CONSTRUCTION

DEBRIS GUIDELINESSheet rock, shingles, 2x4s, concrete, brick, vinyl siding,flooring, carpeting, celetex, plywood and windows areexamples of the materials which will be collected. Theseitems may be piled at the curb. Do not mix with yard wasteor garbage. Containerize anything less than 2 feet long.Creosote, asbestos and batteries will not be collected.

GARBAGE & FURNITURE

INFORMATIONPut your garbage can out the night beforeyour collection day (collection starts at5:00 am). Containers should be placedas close to the roadway as possible,without interfering with the movementof vehicles or pedestrians. Container information: NOT larger that 35 gallons, (NO 55gallon drums) and NOT to weigh more than 35 lbs.

Household furniture will be collected. Do not place garbage,yard waste or other debris on furniture.

We are NOT able to collect the following items: Hazardousmaterials, car batteries, liquids or paint cans (unless lids areremoved and all paint is dried).

Your garbage, furniture and recycling will all be picked up onyour regular collection day.

If you have any questions, Allied Waste can help. Please call 232-5730.

Recycle and Re-New Iberia!

CLIP THIS FORFUTURE REFERENCE

and holes in the building’sexterior and in the plumbing

system are also importantin keeping out not onlyinsects but vermin, Sellerssaid.

Small openings in thesmallest nooks and cran-

nies can invite bugs intoyour home, he said.

Heavy rain and floodingalso can bring in unwantedinvaders, such as ants andcockroaches.

According to an article bythe LSU AgCenter, mosthousehold insecticides canbe used to treat roaches but

additional help from a pro-fessional exterminator maybe needed in battling moreserious infestations.

Ants indoors, Sellers said, can be treat-ed with liquid pesticide. Outdoor ant pilesor bed can be treated with granule solu-tions or liquid but may require more thanone treatment.

To avert attracting flying insectsincluding roaches into your home installoutdoor lighting away but facing thebuilding instead of on the building,Sellers added.

Discarding old food products in the cab-inet and keep dishes clean are easy ways

to detract some insects, but others preferpaper, he said.

“Boxes and other items brought in thehome should be inspected for spiders,roaches and silverfish,” he said.Silverfish are particularly fond ofpaper products, from old magazines andnewspapers in the attic to cardboardstorage.

“Any unused paper products should bediscarded and taken out, that is what theyfeed and nest on.”

INSIDE: Those insects that bug you inside got into your home from the outsideFROM PAGE 3

‘Any unused paper products should be discarded and takenout, that is what they (silverfish) feed and nest on.’

Kevin SellersSugarland Exterminating owner

MULTIADBUILDER.COM

A pest contr ol expert saysinsects that bug you when theyget indoors come fr om outsideand advised homeowners toproperly care for the exterior ofyour home.

AT AG L ANCE

Here are somedetails aboutgetting rid ofpests:CRACKS and

holes in the exteriorand plumbing systemare entry ways forunwanted insects.TO avert flying

insects, including roaches,place outdoor lighting so it isn’tmounted to the building but willshine on the building.

COUNTRY: ‘One of the things I love about this style is how unpretentious it isFROM PAGE 12 ON THE ‘ ’ N E T

BECKY CUNNINGHAM blogs about her farmhouse remodel:www.bucketsofburlap.blogspot.com

RIE STERLING’S DECORATING blog: www.homeandharmony.blogspot.com

KELLEY Davis-Motschenbacher’s design site: www.kelleyandcompanyhomedesign.com

MARCH ISSUE honors Modern Country’s new trendsetters:www.countryliving.com

CHILEWICH FAUX BOIS placemat, $12: www.momastore.org

EARLY 20TH CENTURY LIGHTING: www.schoolhouseelectric.com

IRON CABINET BINS $79: www.wisteria.com

MEAGAN BASKETS, $34.99-$39.99: www.worldmarket.com

TABLES FROM ABOUT $1,530 and up: www.vermontfarmtable.com

PICKLING JARS, $139-179; dough bowls, $199-249; grain-sack pillow covers, $89.50:www.potterybarn.com

www.houzz.com

If you’re looking for additionalinspiration, check outHouzz.com.


Browse through old Country-orient-ed shelter magazines and you’llsee a lot of what designers used to

call “duck and basket” decor: calico-print-filled rooms, Colonial furnishings, wallsstenciled with flowers and ducks.

It was a homey, well-loved style.Now a new generation of home decora-

tors and stylemakers is updating the look.Country Living magazine fills pages withbright colors, crisp graphic prints, tag-sale side tables and smart mid-centurysofas. There are still great baskets, butnowadays the duck’s more likely to bepart of a hip new wallpaper.

Call it Modern Country or FarmhouseChic — it’s sparer and less cluttered thanthe old Country, but no less welcoming. Ithonors Country’s homespun roots withoutsending us too literally back to the past.

Well-worn, often utilitarian elementsfrom the farm house, barn and small-town store blend with contemporary fur-nishings and finishes, making it all lookfresh and interesting. BeckyCunningham, a home decorator near

Shreveport, fell in love with vintage stuffduring her first visit to a flea market inCanton, Texas. That’s where she found anold cowboy’s bathtub that now holds extrablankets in her bedroom.

The room’s transformation, whichincludes snowy white paint, a chandelierand luxurious white bed linens, is chroni-cled on her blog, “Buckets and Burlap.”


For centuries, savvy gardeners usedsoap sprays to combat bugs.

Andrew Jackson Downing, a gardeningcelebrity of the 19th century (who wouldhave designed New York City’s Central Parkif his life had not been cut short in a steam-boat accident), wrote in 1845 that a “wash ofsoft soap is very good for many purposes ...penetrates all the crevices where insectsmay be lodged, destroying them.”

Then, DDT and other harder-hitting,longer-lasting pesticides developed duringWorld War II left soaps on the sidelines.

Yet here we are in the more environ-mentally conscious 21st century, and soapsprays are back in vogue — for the samereasons they fell out of favor. Soaps biode-grade quickly and are relatively nontoxicto most creatures (including us).

Pests on plants don’t always warrantcalling out the sprayer, but when sprayingis needed, soap may do the trick.

You could just douse your rose busheswith leftover, soapy wash water, an aphidremedy once popular among British gar-deners. Or you could use soap more delib-erately, dissolving some tincture of greensoap or Ivory soap shavings into water tomake up your own mix.

Add 1 to several tablespoons of soap pergallon of water, or enough to make suds.Test a little of the solution to make sure itwon’t damage the plant as well as the bugs.

Don’t expect consistent results, though,because washing soaps vary in composi-tion. (Note that soaps and detergents arenot equivalent; soap is one kind of deter-gent, but all detergents are not soaps.)These days, you can buy soaps speciallyformulated for garden use. Garden soaps,like washing soaps, are made by combin-ing naturally occurring fats with an alkalisuch as sodium or potassium. Advantagesof modern garden soaps come from choos-ing specific fats and alkalis.

Soaps act by disrupting cell mem-branes, and depending on the formula-tion, those membranes might be those ofinsects, weeds or disease-causing organ-isms. Insects most affected by soaps aresoft-bodied, slow-moving ones such asaphids, mealybugs, scale and mites.

Now is when these insects start to buildup on houseplants.

Caterpillars and beetles are not general-ly bothered by soap sprays.

Different soap formulations are usedagainst weeds. Soaps toxic to weeds aremore or less toxic to all plants, so have tobe directed right at the weeds. That’s easyenough with weeds poking up between brickpavers, but you’re better off with a hoe forweeding a bed of flowers or vegetables.Disadvantages of soap sprays on paving arethat they can leave a white residue and beslippery until they wash away.

Whether used against insects, weeds or

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Savvy gardeners have used soap sprays, such as the one above, for centuries to battle bugs.

H OME & GARDEN THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 201212 THE DAILY IBERIAN HOME & GARDEN THE DAILY IBERIAN 5THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

524 W. WASHINGTON - NEW IBERIA 364-7486

MAKE YOUR MONEY GO FURTHER

Expert ServiceConvenient Parking

Free Advice

Faucets Hardware BurnersPlumbing Pots Faucet Replacement Parts

Fill your home with easy rent-to-own furniture and appliances

We Finance What We Sell90 DAYS SAME AS CASH

RefrigeratorsWashers & DryersSofas & Chairs

Dining Room SetsLampsCoffee Tables

MirrorsChest of DrawersDesks

Air ConditionersReclinersBedroom Sets

“Service Is Our Business”2318 E. Main • New Iberia, La. • 365-8853

FOUR SEASONS

Home Improvement Starts Here!

All Propane & Natural Gas

Supplies & EquipmentAvailableIncluding:

Regulators,Hoses & Fittings

Burners for every outdoor cooking needGas

Lights

LASSALLE GAS CO., INC.

Grilling & Outdoor CookingHeadquarters

Boiling Pots,Frying Pots & Baskets –Domestic & Industrial

Grade

Large Selection of Cast Iron Cookware,

including cracking pots

SINCE 1922Corner of Dale & Eden ~ New Iberia

364-4558 • 364-7161

Wash well behind the leaves ... use soap

SEE SOAP, PAGE 16

BEAUTIFY: Don’t be part of the problem

While a garden might be a safe haven,your home can be a death trap Accordingto Wyoming-based Western EcoSystemsTechnology, an estimated 98 million birdsare killed annually in the U.S. from collid-ing with glass windows. That is one birdfatality per house.

But you don’t need to be part of theproblem. Applying static-cling decals toyour windows will prevent birds frommistaking your windows for thin air. Andyou can apply such a decal without affect-ing the appearance of your home. Forexample, decals from WindowAlert relyon a special ultraviolet-reflecting coatingthat is invisible to humans but looks likea brilliant glow to birds. You can learnmore at www.WindowAlert.com.

“Your home needn’t pose a danger tobirds,” stresses Spencer Schock, founderof WindowAlert, Inc.

If you spot an injured bird in your gar-den, don’t rescue it. If it’s young, its par-

ents are likely nearby. If you want to takeaction, call your wildlife office for infor-mation on licensed rehabilitators.

With a few tweaks to your garden, youcan create an eco-friendly habitat for thebirds and the bees and everything inbetween. After all, there’s nothing morebeautiful than a garden that is not onlygood to you and your family, but towildlife, as well.

FROM PAGE 8

Applying static-cling decals toyour windows will preventbirds from mistaking your

windows for thin air. And youcan apply such a decal without affecting the

appearance of your home.

Countrydecor meets

modernstyle

SEE COUNTRY, PAGE 13

ASSOCIATED PRESS

A headboard made from old wood from abarn is shown in a style described as mod-ern country or farmhouse chic.


Phenology is the science of appearances, or know-ing which plants can tell you when to start weed-ing, planting, fighting insects or tackling any

other gardening priority.Once the forsythia begins to bloom, for instance, it’s

time to renew your war against crabgrass. When to fer-tilize the lawn? Think apple blossoms falling. Time to setout tomatoes? Yes, if dogwood trees are in flower.

“Phenology makes us more aware of our environ-ment,” said Robert Polomski, a horticulturist andarborist at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C.“Associating gardening tasks with flowering times is aneat way to look at how nature really functions.”

Forsythia grows most everywhere in Zones 5-8. Its yel-low blossoms are among the most recognizable signs ofearly spring, making this member of the olive familyone of the best seasonal indicators for gardeners. Turfgrass specialists often use the bloom time of forsythia asa bellwether for scattering pre-emergent herbicides oncrabgrass-prone lawns.

“A garden weed preventer or pre-emergent kills theseeds before they can grow into seedlings,” Polomski said.

Phenology blends science with legend. It charts plant

and animal development, and how those are influenced byclimate change over long periods of time. It also includesthe observations of people who have worked the groundfor generations. Scientists know, for instance, that soiltemperatures must reach at least 35 degrees before onionand lettuce seeds will germinate. But Felder Rushing, aformer extension horticulturist, 10th generationAmerican gardener and folklorist from Jackson, Miss.,puts it in a more homespun and equally correct way:“When fishermen are sitting on the riverbank instead ofon their bait buckets, the soil is warm enough to plant.”

Some other reliable natural markers compiled byUniversity of Wisconsin-Extension:

• Plant potatoes as the first dandelions bloom, and peaswhen the daffodils flower.

• Transplant eggplant, melons and peppers when theirises bloom.

• Start looking for trouble from squash vine borers

when chicory flowers open.• Put seed corn in the ground when oak leaves are

about the size of a squirrel’s ear. — The time is right forplanting tomatoes when lily-of-the-valley is in full bloom.

• Seed morning glories as soon as the maple trees leaf out.• Grasshopper eggs hatch roughly at the same time

that lilacs bloom.• Prune roses when crocuses begin to flower.Gardeners aren’t the only ones who read signs of the

seasons for practical reasons. Bird watchers use them fortiming migrations, fly fishermen for signaling the insecthatch and farmers as clues in weather forecasting.

Phenologists monitor one species as a reliable way totrack changes in another. Birds head north, for instance,just as the insects begin to appear in their summerbreeding grounds. Insect populations build when theirhost plants produce leaves.

Native tribes in British Columbia used the arrival ofbuds and blooms from certain berry-producing shrubs tosignal when it was time to fish for halibut or spawningsalmon. That gave them a competitive leg up over otheranimals consuming the same, often limited resource.

“People good at observing things can often predictwhen the purple martins start arriving,” Rushing said.“It becomes part of the local lore.”

BY STATEPOINT MEDIA

Spring is here and it’s time to thinkabout your garden again. This year,as you cultivate your thriving plot,

think about ways to get your whole fami-ly involved in gardening -- which makesfor a great fresh air activity.

Not only is gardening a terrific way tospend time with your kids, but it also reg-ularly gets them outside and away fromtheir TVs and computers. Here are sometips to get your little couch potatoes grow-ing potatoes instead:

Teach Kids are never too young to learn how

plants grow and where their food comesfrom. In fact, growing a garden is anideal hands-on lesson in life science,ecology and nutrition, and is a lot morefun than simply hitting the books.However, some of the concepts of gar-dening may be difficult for younger kidsto grasp. Fun age-appropriate learningactivities and ideas can be found online,at such websites asMiracleGro.com/kids .

Grow Giving your kids their very own gar-

dening projects will help motivate them

to cultivate their green thumbs.A gardening set designed with kids in

mind is a great way to get them started.For example, Miracle-Gro Kids offers avariety of flower and vegetable gardeningsets that provide an optimal environmentfor growth, and an opportunity to watchplants progress both indoors and out-doors.

Be sure to invest in age-appropriatetools for your children to use, so they candig in the soil and water the plants rightalongside you.

Harvest Now it’s time to enjoy the fruits of

your labor, literally. Once your plantsare ready for harvest, work with your

kids to find great-tasting recipesthey will love,incorporating thefoods grown byyou. From veg-etable pizza tosalad to fruitsmoothies, thenutritious mealsyou plan andmake together willbe extra satisfyingwhen you knowthe ingredientscame from yourown backyard.

Enjoy You’ve worked

hard pruning, weeding and wateringyour plants, and now, you have a bloom-ing garden to show for it. Don’t forget to

teach your children the importance ofappreciating the beauty of nature. Takea break to sit back, relax and enjoy yourgarden, as you contemplate what cropsand flowers to include the followingyear.

Cultivating your garden and watchingit grow need not be a solitary activity thisspring. By getting your children involvedin the process, you will teach them valu-able skills they can use for the rest oftheir lives.


Trailer

Parts inStock

TrailerRepairs

Boat Trailers

6400 Hwy 14 • New Iberia

Utility Trailers

James Sprague

FREE IN-HOME ESTIMATES

FREE STAINLESS STEEL SINKWith Purchase of Granite Countertop

With This Coupon Only. Cannot BeCombined With Other Offers or Discounts.

Expires 4-30-12

3547 Ambassador Caffery, Lafayette(Next to Chuck E. Cheese)

337-988-8585MONDAY-SATURDAY 9AM-5PM

GRANITEStarting at

$1795sq ft

INSTALLED

ALL WOOD

CABINETS10x10 Kitchen Cabinets

Starting at

$999

Hwy. 182 West By Spanish Lake • Hours: Mon.-Sat. 8:30-5:30 • Sun. 10:00-4:00 364-4879

IBERIA GARDENS & NURSERY• Landscape Edging• Garden Supplies• Bulk Soil & Mulch

• Seasonal Flowers,Vegetables & Bulbs

• Rose Bushes

• Flowering Shrubs• Shade & Fruit Trees• Palm Trees

WATKINSFloor Covering

1319 E. Main • New Iberia, La. • 365-7127

Large Inventory• Floor Tiles • Lots of Remnants

• Vinyl • Laminate Flooring• Quick Step & Laminate by MOHAWK

• Ceramic Tiles • Carpets




Rolls & Rolls OfCarpets & Vinyl

41 Years In BusinessRicky Watkins 30 Years ExperienceLarry Meyers 48 Years Experience

Tips to get your kids gardening this spring

STATEPOINT MEDIA

Children are never too young to learn how plants grow and wheretheir food orginates.

Gardening is a terrific way to spendtime with your kids and it gets themoutside away from the television andcomputer — out of the couch potatomode.

For example, Miracle-Gro Kidsoffers a variety of flower andvegetable gardening sets that

provide an optimal environment for growth ...

READY: Keep cool with low energy costs

help diagnose any problems.Don’t forget, even the most eco-friendly,

high-efficiency products and appliancescan waste money and energy if they’renot installed, serviced and maintainedproperly. By working with certified tech-nicians, homeowners can have confidencethat their HVAC/R equipment is deliver-ing on the energy efficiency promised.

When scheduling an air conditioningcheck-up, be sure to request a NATE-certi-fied technician. To find a qualified localcontractor who employs certified techni-cians, look for the NATE logo or go toHVACRAdvice.com .

By making sure your air conditioningsystem is operating efficiently and byadopting a few energy-friendly habits, youcan maintain a cool home while keepingenergy costs down.

FROM PAGE 7

ON THE ’ N E T

FOR more about phenology as an aid to garden planning,see this University of Wisconsin-Extension fact sheet:

http://pddc.wisc.edu/factsheets/Low%20Color%20PDF%20Format/Phenology.pdf

Learning to read nature’s cues can help gardener


ZD331

�� &��#��3��#��#�#��&�#�� !��%��&��$��!��$��#��3+*�+�� 01��2��3�(��#�� %��#�3��#��&��3 3C��!�� #��#��$��!��#��#��&��&��#�� 6��&��&��#��!��#��# �8�� !��#�� !��&��(��.��%��#��!�� 7��#��&��!��%��#��!�� 9��$��!��&��9��#��:�$��#��# �� (��!��$��!��#��#��!��;< 7 � =��&&��# �/��#��$��!�� !��<��<��> , � �*?��6��@�$� �A��<��5�4�*D�#�!-��$�� ,��1��#�� 8&&��1��#�3+*�+�� ,��#�&��#��#��(��#�� )�!�� &��&��

www.kubota.com©Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2012

Sammy Broussard Eq. Ctr. of New Iberia

0% Down &0% A.P.R. Financing

For 5 Years*

1511 Center StreetNew Iberia, LA 70562

(337) 367-5296

It Pays to Own Orange

$0 Down & 0%

A.P.R. Financing for 5 Years*

This is the year to reward yourself with a new Kubota. Right now you can get0% A.P.R. financing up to 5 years on Kubota Z Series zero-turn mowers.

It always pays to own quality. Offers end June 30, 2012.

2310 HWY. 14 • NEW IBERIA • 365-7007

T&SMilling

GARDENINGVegetable Plants

Seeds by the Scoop or Pound• Miracle Gro Potting Mix

2 1/2 cu. ft. $9.99• Miracle Gro Vegetable

& Flower Soil 2 cu. ft. $6.99

CYPRESS MULCH SPECIAL2 cu. ft. $2.75/bag

(80 bags/pallet)★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Also AvailableCypress Mulch BarkRed Cypress Mulch

GARDEN SPRAYERSSolo Sprayers

Gilmore Professional SprayersBackpack Sprayers

15 & 25 Gallon Sprayers

Farm, Pet & Garden Supply“Quality at the right price”

Blue BuffaloTaste of the Wild

Chicken SoupFOR SMALL BREED DOGS

Diamond Small BreedPro Plan Small Breed

(Available in 6 lb. bag & larger)

NEW DOG FOODSAVAILABLE

ALL FERTILIZERS ALWAYSAVAILABLE

50 lbs.8-8-8 ..................................................$12.998-24-24 ..............................................$21.9913-13-13 ............................................$18.0016-16-16 ............................................$19.50Nitrogen 46-0-0 .................................$20.00Pecan Tree Fertilizer12-12-12 w/zinc ................................$17.50Bug Blaster (Same as Telstar) ...11-1/2 lbs. $7.99Complete Insect Killer Granules(Also kills grubs that armadillos look for in lawns & beds) .$9.99

[email protected]

It is an active ingredient and is a com-mon product sold in plant nurseries. Asprinkle of the stuff in plant beds willward off coyote prey that may be damagegardens such as cats, rabbits andarmadillos, Chris Catsulis said.

When dealing with garden pests it isimportant to determine the exact cause ofa problem, LSU AgCenter horticulturistDan Gill said.

First consider organic alternativesbefore harsh chemical, Gill advised in hisrecent article released by the AgCenter.

“The initial step in deciding how to con-trol a pest is to correctly identify theinsect causing the damage and determineif the insect is currently active or if thedamage is old,” he said. “Then, decide ifthe amount of potential damage warrantscontrol and see if there is a way of con-trolling the pest without the use of pesti-cides.”

As gardeners seek more eco-friendlyoptions to ward off garden intruders,

companies such a Natural Guard nowoffer a line of organic produces such acedar oil and cedar granules to fighteverything from mosquitoes to chiggers

and grub worms, Gus Catsulis said.You can find out more at the LSU

AgCenter website atwww.lsuagcenter.com

PROTECT: First, identify the insect causing the damage

JESSICA GOFF / THE DAILY IBERIAN

Coyote urine granules, above, can help keepgardens safe from unwanted guests.

FROM PAGE 9


Chris Catsulis, left, and Gus Catsulis, offer advice and products to combat pests.

Is your home, air conditionerready for spring & summer?BY STATEPOINT MEDIA

T emperatures are on the rise, butthat doesn’t mean your energy billneeds to increase too. There are a

number of ways you can keep your homecool and your energy bills in check thisseason. Is your air conditioner operatingoptimally? If you have a central air condi-tioning system, it’s important to get itchecked by an HVAC/R professional. Dosome comparison shopping — specialdeals are easy to come by on seasonal pre-ventative maintenance. Be advised, how-ever, that the expertise of HVAC/R techni-cians can vary widely.

Though the HVAC/R industry does notrequire technicians to take mandatory com-petency tests, you can help ensure a job welldone by opting for a technician certified byNorth American Technician Excellence(NATE), the nation’s largest independent,

non-profit certification body for HVAC/Rtechnicians. NATE-certified technicians arequalified to properly install and serviceequipment, which translates to maximumhome comfort and energy savings.

Once you know your air conditioningsystem is running efficiently, there areseveral things you can do to keep energybills to a minimum:

• Keep air conditioner units clear ofplants and debris. Obstructing airflowwill reduce the unit’s efficiency.

• Raise the thermostat. Each degree savesa percentage off your cooling energy bill.

• Check air filters every couple of weeksand change them at least twice during theseason, or as directed by the manufacturer.

• Review last year’s energy bills. If yourcooling costs are drastically higher thisyear, a qualified HVAC/R technician can

SEE READY, PAGE 11


LTX 1042 KWLAWN TRACTOR

• 18 HP† Cub Cadet® professional-grade OHVengine by Kawasaki®, fully welded steel frameand cast-iron front axle

• 42" heavy-duty mowing deck delivers the CubCadet Signature Cut™

• Ultra-tight turning radius for remarkablemaneuverability

RZT™ 54 KWZERO-TURN RIDER

• 23 HP† Cub Cadet®professional-grade Kawasaki®V-Twin OHV engine

• 54" heavy-duty mowing deck delivers the CubCadet Signature Cut™

• Dual hydrostatic transmission

STARTING AT:

$1,7992

STARTING AT:

$3,2992

(1) FINANCING AVAILABLE TO QUALIFIED BUYERS. NOT ALL BUYERS QUALIFY. MINIMUM PURCHASE PRICE REQUIREMENT APPLIES. SEE STORE OR CUBCADET.COM FOR IMPORTANT DETAILS.MINIMUM MONTHLY PAYMENTS REQUIRED. TRANSACTION FINANCE CHARGES MAY APPLY. SEE YOUR CUB CADET RETAILER FOR DETAILS OR GO TO CUBCADET.COM FOR FULL DISCLOSURE.FINANCING SUBJECT TO TD BANK, N.A. APPROVAL. PROGRAMS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. (2) A MINIMUM PURCHASE OF $1,500 IS REQUIRED. THE OFFER IS SUBJECT TO CREDITAPPROVAL ON A CUB CADET CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT. DURING THE 24 MONTH PROMOTIONAL PERIOD THE MINIMUM MONTHLY PAYMENT IS CALCULATED BY DIVIDING THE PURCHASE AMOUNT BYTHE LENGTH OF THE PROMOTIONAL PERIOD. NO INTEREST ACCRUES DURING THE PROMOTIONAL PERIOD. AFTER THE PROMOTIONAL PERIOD EXPIRES, INTEREST WILL BE CHARGED AT THE APR FORPURCHASES ON ANY REMAINING BALANCE UNTIL PAID IN FULL. THE APR FOR PURCHASES IS CURRENTLY 27.99% AND MAY VARY WITH THE MARKET BASED ON THE PRIME RATE. IF ANY REQUIREDPAYMENT IS 60 DAYS PAST DUE, THE PENALTY APR WILL APPLY TO REMAINING BALANCES. THE PENALTY APR IS CURRENTLY 29.99% AND MAY VARY WITH THE MARKET BASED ON THE PRIME RATE. MINIMUM INTEREST CHARGE $2.00. FOR A PURCHASE OF $1,500 TO $2,499 A ONE-TIME PROMOTIONAL FEE OF $39 WILL BE APPLIED TO THE ACCOUNT FOR THIS TRANSACTION. FOR A PURCHASEOF $2,500 OR GREATER A ONE-TIME PROMOTIONAL FEE OF $125 WILL BE APPLIED TO THE ACCOUNT FOR THIS TRANSACTION. * Product Price — Actual retail prices are set by dealer and mayvary. Taxes, freight, setup and handling charges may be additional and may vary. Models subject to limited availability. **See your local dealer for limited warranty details and information.Certain restrictions apply. † as rated by engine manufacturer Specifications and programs are subject to change without notice. Images may not reflect dealer inventory and/or unitspecifications. © 2012 Cub Cadet 2PV_3C8

Jerald's Sales & Service3910 Melancon RoadBroussard, LA 70518

(337) 364-0531

533 W. St. Peter - 364-8421

HEBERT’SGarden Center

You’re Invited to make your

Garden Dreams Come True!

NEW EXTENDED HOURS:M-F: 8-5:30 SAT 8-5 SUN 12-5

1302 E. Admiral Doyle Dr. (Across from NISH), New Iberia369-7082 • Mon.-Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-3

Home Decorating Sale!

Choose From A Large Selection!

Sofa & Lounge Chair

$9992 pc

12 Months Interest Free Financing - WAC

Glider w/Ottoman

$499

Exp. TV Wall Unit

$1349 Coyote urine, otherproducts protect garden

BY JESSICA GOFF

THE DAILY IBERIAN

There are plenty of products to keeppesky pests out of the garden, andwhen all else fails there is always

coyote urine.The warm spring and summer months

call for more time out in the garden forplanting, abut also providing protection.

White flies and aphids will take to hibis-cus while grub worms, though harmless,will attract armadillos that will in turndestroy a flower bed or vegetable garden,said Gus Catsulis, who with his son Chrisrun Iberia Gardens and Nursery said.

“It all depends on what you are grow-ing,” Gus Catsulis said about the varietyof pests that can enter your garden.

Permethrin is a pesticide commonly

used on vegetables, Chris Catsulis said.“It kills a lot of insects on contact,” he

said.“There are better chemicals that you

can pour on the ground and it gets intothe plant systemically and that kills a lotof insects that bite into the plant. Theonly downfall is that you can’t use that onanything edible.”

The local nursery often receives callsfor advice on eradicating grub worms, theyounger Catsulis said.

“It’s sad because they help fertilize thedirt but people are tired of dealing witharmadillos that tear up the plants insearch for the worms,” he said.

That’s that where the coyote urinecomes in.


Gus Catsulis, who owns Iberia Gardens and Nursery, holds a bag of organic cedar granulesthat act as a deterrent to grub worms in the garden. Armadillos pursue grub worms andtear up the garden while searching for the delicacy.

SEE PROTECT, PAGE 10

Add touch of wildlifeto beautify your garden

BY STATEPOINT MEDIA

Whether your gar-den is a source offood for your

family, a way to beautifyyour home’s outdoorspaces, or a gathering placefor parties, you alreadyknow how beneficial youroutdoor hobby can be.

But a garden needn’t onlybe a human habitat. If youcultivate it right, you canencourage beautiful wildlifeto become regular visitors toyour garden all season long.

Here are some tips to getstarted:

• Plant native flowers, shrubs and treesto give local wildlife the proper suste-nance they need to survive. Skip flowersbred strictly for size and color and opt forhigh-nectar yielding flowers instead.

• Incorporate birdfeeders into your gar-den. Not only will they look great, theyare an excellent supplemental food sourcefor your feathered friends. And you cankeep furry friends at bay with a squirrel-proof feeder.

• If you build a water source, they willcome (and stay). A pond or birdbath willhelp prevent birds from eating and goingin search of water.

• Birds need cover to protect themselves

from predators. Planting densely with amix of smaller trees, shrubs and beds ofannuals and perennials will do the trick.

• Avoid pesticides. These chemicals arepotentially harmful to you and your fami-ly, and the same goes for wildlife. Also, bykilling garden pests, you will eliminate aprimary source of protein for birds insearch of nourishment for their migra-tion ahead.

Once you’ve invited all these creaturesto share your garden, you’re going toneed to take some steps to make it safe forthem.

STATEPOINT MEDIA

Hummingbirds like the one above can be attracted to yourgarden if you cultivate it right.

SEE BEAUTIFY, PAGE 12


ZD331

�� &��#��3��#��#�#��&�#�� !��%��&��$��!��$��#��3+*�+�� 01��2��3�(��#�� %��#�3��#��&��3 3C��!�� #��#��$��!��#��#��&��&��#�� 6��&��&��#��!��#��# �8�� !��#�� !��&��(��.��%��#��!�� 7��#��&��!��%��#��!�� 9��$��!��&��9��#��:�$��#��# �� (��!��$��!��#��#��!��;< 7 � =��&&��# �/��#��$��!�� !��<��<��> , � �*?��6��@�$� �A��<��5�4�*D�#�!-��$�� ,��1��#�� 8&&��1��#�3+*�+�� ,��#�&��#��#��(��#�� )�!�� &��&��

www.kubota.com©Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2012

Sammy Broussard Eq. Ctr. of New Iberia

0% Down &0% A.P.R. Financing

For 5 Years*

1511 Center StreetNew Iberia, LA 70562

(337) 367-5296

It Pays to Own Orange

$0 Down & 0%

A.P.R. Financing for 5 Years*

This is the year to reward yourself with a new Kubota. Right now you can get0% A.P.R. financing up to 5 years on Kubota Z Series zero-turn mowers.

It always pays to own quality. Offers end June 30, 2012.

2310 HWY. 14 • NEW IBERIA • 365-7007

T&SMilling

GARDENINGVegetable Plants

Seeds by the Scoop or Pound• Miracle Gro Potting Mix

2 1/2 cu. ft. $9.99• Miracle Gro Vegetable

& Flower Soil 2 cu. ft. $6.99

CYPRESS MULCH SPECIAL2 cu. ft. $2.75/bag

(80 bags/pallet)★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Also AvailableCypress Mulch BarkRed Cypress Mulch

GARDEN SPRAYERSSolo Sprayers

Gilmore Professional SprayersBackpack Sprayers

15 & 25 Gallon Sprayers

Farm, Pet & Garden Supply“Quality at the right price”

Blue BuffaloTaste of the Wild

Chicken SoupFOR SMALL BREED DOGS

Diamond Small BreedPro Plan Small Breed

(Available in 6 lb. bag & larger)

NEW DOG FOODSAVAILABLE

ALL FERTILIZERS ALWAYSAVAILABLE

50 lbs.8-8-8 ..................................................$12.998-24-24 ..............................................$21.9913-13-13 ............................................$18.0016-16-16 ............................................$19.50Nitrogen 46-0-0 .................................$20.00Pecan Tree Fertilizer12-12-12 w/zinc ................................$17.50Bug Blaster (Same as Telstar) ...11-1/2 lbs. $7.99Complete Insect Killer Granules(Also kills grubs that armadillos look for in lawns & beds) .$9.99

[email protected]

It is an active ingredient and is a com-mon product sold in plant nurseries. Asprinkle of the stuff in plant beds willward off coyote prey that may be damagegardens such as cats, rabbits andarmadillos, Chris Catsulis said.

When dealing with garden pests it isimportant to determine the exact cause ofa problem, LSU AgCenter horticulturistDan Gill said.

First consider organic alternativesbefore harsh chemical, Gill advised in hisrecent article released by the AgCenter.

“The initial step in deciding how to con-trol a pest is to correctly identify theinsect causing the damage and determineif the insect is currently active or if thedamage is old,” he said. “Then, decide ifthe amount of potential damage warrantscontrol and see if there is a way of con-trolling the pest without the use of pesti-cides.”

As gardeners seek more eco-friendlyoptions to ward off garden intruders,

companies such a Natural Guard nowoffer a line of organic produces such acedar oil and cedar granules to fighteverything from mosquitoes to chiggers

and grub worms, Gus Catsulis said.You can find out more at the LSU

AgCenter website atwww.lsuagcenter.com

PROTECT: First, identify the insect causing the damage


Coyote urine granules, above, can help keepgardens safe from unwanted guests.

FROM PAGE 9


Chris Catsulis, left, and Gus Catsulis, offer advice and products to combat pests.

Is your home, air conditionerready for spring & summer?BY STATEPOINT MEDIA

T emperatures are on the rise, butthat doesn’t mean your energy billneeds to increase too. There are a

number of ways you can keep your homecool and your energy bills in check thisseason. Is your air conditioner operatingoptimally? If you have a central air condi-tioning system, it’s important to get itchecked by an HVAC/R professional. Dosome comparison shopping — specialdeals are easy to come by on seasonal pre-ventative maintenance. Be advised, how-ever, that the expertise of HVAC/R techni-cians can vary widely.

Though the HVAC/R industry does notrequire technicians to take mandatory com-petency tests, you can help ensure a job welldone by opting for a technician certified byNorth American Technician Excellence(NATE), the nation’s largest independent,

non-profit certification body for HVAC/Rtechnicians. NATE-certified technicians arequalified to properly install and serviceequipment, which translates to maximumhome comfort and energy savings.

Once you know your air conditioningsystem is running efficiently, there areseveral things you can do to keep energybills to a minimum:

• Keep air conditioner units clear ofplants and debris. Obstructing airflowwill reduce the unit’s efficiency.

• Raise the thermostat. Each degree savesa percentage off your cooling energy bill.

• Check air filters every couple of weeksand change them at least twice during theseason, or as directed by the manufacturer.

• Review last year’s energy bills. If yourcooling costs are drastically higher thisyear, a qualified HVAC/R technician can

SEE READY, PAGE 11


Phenology is the science of appearances, or know-ing which plants can tell you when to start weed-ing, planting, fighting insects or tackling any

other gardening priority.Once the forsythia begins to bloom, for instance, it’s

time to renew your war against crabgrass. When to fer-tilize the lawn? Think apple blossoms falling. Time to setout tomatoes? Yes, if dogwood trees are in flower.

“Phenology makes us more aware of our environ-ment,” said Robert Polomski, a horticulturist andarborist at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C.“Associating gardening tasks with flowering times is aneat way to look at how nature really functions.”

Forsythia grows most everywhere in Zones 5-8. Its yel-low blossoms are among the most recognizable signs ofearly spring, making this member of the olive familyone of the best seasonal indicators for gardeners. Turfgrass specialists often use the bloom time of forsythia asa bellwether for scattering pre-emergent herbicides oncrabgrass-prone lawns.

“A garden weed preventer or pre-emergent kills theseeds before they can grow into seedlings,” Polomski said.

Phenology blends science with legend. It charts plant

and animal development, and how those are influenced byclimate change over long periods of time. It also includesthe observations of people who have worked the groundfor generations. Scientists know, for instance, that soiltemperatures must reach at least 35 degrees before onionand lettuce seeds will germinate. But Felder Rushing, aformer extension horticulturist, 10th generationAmerican gardener and folklorist from Jackson, Miss.,puts it in a more homespun and equally correct way:“When fishermen are sitting on the riverbank instead ofon their bait buckets, the soil is warm enough to plant.”

Some other reliable natural markers compiled byUniversity of Wisconsin-Extension:

• Plant potatoes as the first dandelions bloom, and peaswhen the daffodils flower.

• Transplant eggplant, melons and peppers when theirises bloom.

• Start looking for trouble from squash vine borers

when chicory flowers open.• Put seed corn in the ground when oak leaves are

about the size of a squirrel’s ear. — The time is right forplanting tomatoes when lily-of-the-valley is in full bloom.

• Seed morning glories as soon as the maple trees leaf out.• Grasshopper eggs hatch roughly at the same time

that lilacs bloom.• Prune roses when crocuses begin to flower.Gardeners aren’t the only ones who read signs of the

seasons for practical reasons. Bird watchers use them fortiming migrations, fly fishermen for signaling the insecthatch and farmers as clues in weather forecasting.

Phenologists monitor one species as a reliable way totrack changes in another. Birds head north, for instance,just as the insects begin to appear in their summerbreeding grounds. Insect populations build when theirhost plants produce leaves.

Native tribes in British Columbia used the arrival ofbuds and blooms from certain berry-producing shrubs tosignal when it was time to fish for halibut or spawningsalmon. That gave them a competitive leg up over otheranimals consuming the same, often limited resource.

“People good at observing things can often predictwhen the purple martins start arriving,” Rushing said.“It becomes part of the local lore.”

BY STATEPOINT MEDIA

Spring is here and it’s time to thinkabout your garden again. This year,as you cultivate your thriving plot,

think about ways to get your whole fami-ly involved in gardening -- which makesfor a great fresh air activity.

Not only is gardening a terrific way tospend time with your kids, but it also reg-ularly gets them outside and away fromtheir TVs and computers. Here are sometips to get your little couch potatoes grow-ing potatoes instead:

Teach Kids are never too young to learn how

plants grow and where their food comesfrom. In fact, growing a garden is anideal hands-on lesson in life science,ecology and nutrition, and is a lot morefun than simply hitting the books.However, some of the concepts of gar-dening may be difficult for younger kidsto grasp. Fun age-appropriate learningactivities and ideas can be found online,at such websites asMiracleGro.com/kids .

Grow Giving your kids their very own gar-

dening projects will help motivate them

to cultivate their green thumbs.A gardening set designed with kids in

mind is a great way to get them started.For example, Miracle-Gro Kids offers avariety of flower and vegetable gardeningsets that provide an optimal environmentfor growth, and an opportunity to watchplants progress both indoors and out-doors.

Be sure to invest in age-appropriatetools for your children to use, so they candig in the soil and water the plants rightalongside you.

Harvest Now it’s time to enjoy the fruits of

your labor, literally. Once your plantsare ready for harvest, work with your

kids to find great-tasting recipesthey will love,incorporating thefoods grown byyou. From veg-etable pizza tosalad to fruitsmoothies, thenutritious mealsyou plan andmake together willbe extra satisfyingwhen you knowthe ingredientscame from yourown backyard.

Enjoy You’ve worked

hard pruning, weeding and wateringyour plants, and now, you have a bloom-ing garden to show for it. Don’t forget to

teach your children the importance ofappreciating the beauty of nature. Takea break to sit back, relax and enjoy yourgarden, as you contemplate what cropsand flowers to include the followingyear.

Cultivating your garden and watchingit grow need not be a solitary activity thisspring. By getting your children involvedin the process, you will teach them valu-able skills they can use for the rest oftheir lives.


Trailer

Parts inStock

TrailerRepairs

Boat Trailers

6400 Hwy 14 • New Iberia

Utility Trailers

James Sprague

FREE IN-HOME ESTIMATES

FREE STAINLESS STEEL SINKWith Purchase of Granite Countertop

With This Coupon Only. Cannot BeCombined With Other Offers or Discounts.

Expires 4-30-12

3547 Ambassador Caffery, Lafayette(Next to Chuck E. Cheese)

337-988-8585MONDAY-SATURDAY 9AM-5PM

GRANITEStarting at

$1795sq ft

INSTALLED

ALL WOOD

CABINETS10x10 Kitchen Cabinets

Starting at

$999

Hwy. 182 West By Spanish Lake • Hours: Mon.-Sat. 8:30-5:30 • Sun. 10:00-4:00 364-4879

IBERIA GARDENS & NURSERY• Landscape Edging• Garden Supplies• Bulk Soil & Mulch

• Seasonal Flowers,Vegetables & Bulbs

• Rose Bushes

• Flowering Shrubs• Shade & Fruit Trees• Palm Trees

WATKINSFloor Covering

1319 E. Main • New Iberia, La. • 365-7127







Rolls & Rolls OfCarpets & Vinyl

41 Years In BusinessRicky Watkins 30 Years ExperienceLarry Meyers 48 Years Experience

Tips to get your kids gardening this spring

STATEPOINT MEDIA

Children are never too young to learn how plants grow and wheretheir food orginates.

Gardening is a terrific way to spendtime with your kids and it gets themoutside away from the television andcomputer — out of the couch potatomode.

For example, Miracle-Gro Kidsoffers a variety of flower andvegetable gardening sets that

provide an optimal environment for growth ...

READY: Keep cool with low energy costs

help diagnose any problems.Don’t forget, even the most eco-friendly,

high-efficiency products and appliancescan waste money and energy if they’renot installed, serviced and maintainedproperly. By working with certified tech-nicians, homeowners can have confidencethat their HVAC/R equipment is deliver-ing on the energy efficiency promised.

When scheduling an air conditioningcheck-up, be sure to request a NATE-certi-fied technician. To find a qualified localcontractor who employs certified techni-cians, look for the NATE logo or go toHVACRAdvice.com .

By making sure your air conditioningsystem is operating efficiently and byadopting a few energy-friendly habits, youcan maintain a cool home while keepingenergy costs down.

FROM PAGE 7

ON THE ’ N E T

FOR more about phenology as an aid to garden planning,see this University of Wisconsin-Extension fact sheet:

http://pddc.wisc.edu/factsheets/Low%20Color%20PDF%20Format/Phenology.pdf

Learning to read nature’s cues can help gardener


Browse through old Country-orient-ed shelter magazines and you’llsee a lot of what designers used to

call “duck and basket” decor: calico-print-filled rooms, Colonial furnishings, wallsstenciled with flowers and ducks.

It was a homey, well-loved style.Now a new generation of home decora-

tors and stylemakers is updating the look.Country Living magazine fills pages withbright colors, crisp graphic prints, tag-sale side tables and smart mid-centurysofas. There are still great baskets, butnowadays the duck’s more likely to bepart of a hip new wallpaper.

Call it Modern Country or FarmhouseChic — it’s sparer and less cluttered thanthe old Country, but no less welcoming. Ithonors Country’s homespun roots withoutsending us too literally back to the past.

Well-worn, often utilitarian elementsfrom the farm house, barn and small-town store blend with contemporary fur-nishings and finishes, making it all lookfresh and interesting. BeckyCunningham, a home decorator near

Shreveport, fell in love with vintage stuffduring her first visit to a flea market inCanton, Texas. That’s where she found anold cowboy’s bathtub that now holds extrablankets in her bedroom.

The room’s transformation, whichincludes snowy white paint, a chandelierand luxurious white bed linens, is chroni-cled on her blog, “Buckets and Burlap.”


For centuries, savvy gardeners usedsoap sprays to combat bugs.

Andrew Jackson Downing, a gardeningcelebrity of the 19th century (who wouldhave designed New York City’s Central Parkif his life had not been cut short in a steam-boat accident), wrote in 1845 that a “wash ofsoft soap is very good for many purposes ...penetrates all the crevices where insectsmay be lodged, destroying them.”

Then, DDT and other harder-hitting,longer-lasting pesticides developed duringWorld War II left soaps on the sidelines.

Yet here we are in the more environ-mentally conscious 21st century, and soapsprays are back in vogue — for the samereasons they fell out of favor. Soaps biode-grade quickly and are relatively nontoxicto most creatures (including us).

Pests on plants don’t always warrantcalling out the sprayer, but when sprayingis needed, soap may do the trick.

You could just douse your rose busheswith leftover, soapy wash water, an aphidremedy once popular among British gar-deners. Or you could use soap more delib-erately, dissolving some tincture of greensoap or Ivory soap shavings into water tomake up your own mix.

Add 1 to several tablespoons of soap pergallon of water, or enough to make suds.Test a little of the solution to make sure itwon’t damage the plant as well as the bugs.

Don’t expect consistent results, though,because washing soaps vary in composi-tion. (Note that soaps and detergents arenot equivalent; soap is one kind of deter-gent, but all detergents are not soaps.)These days, you can buy soaps speciallyformulated for garden use. Garden soaps,like washing soaps, are made by combin-ing naturally occurring fats with an alkalisuch as sodium or potassium. Advantagesof modern garden soaps come from choos-ing specific fats and alkalis.

Soaps act by disrupting cell mem-branes, and depending on the formula-tion, those membranes might be those ofinsects, weeds or disease-causing organ-isms. Insects most affected by soaps aresoft-bodied, slow-moving ones such asaphids, mealybugs, scale and mites.

Now is when these insects start to buildup on houseplants.

Caterpillars and beetles are not general-ly bothered by soap sprays.

Different soap formulations are usedagainst weeds. Soaps toxic to weeds aremore or less toxic to all plants, so have tobe directed right at the weeds. That’s easyenough with weeds poking up between brickpavers, but you’re better off with a hoe forweeding a bed of flowers or vegetables.Disadvantages of soap sprays on paving arethat they can leave a white residue and beslippery until they wash away.

Whether used against insects, weeds or

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Savvy gardeners have used soap sprays, such as the one above, for centuries to battle bugs.

H OME & GARDEN THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 201212 THE DAILY IBERIAN HOME & GARDEN THE DAILY IBERIAN 5THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

524 W. WASHINGTON - NEW IBERIA 364-7486

MAKE YOUR MONEY GO FURTHER

Expert ServiceConvenient Parking

Free Advice

Faucets Hardware BurnersPlumbing Pots Faucet Replacement Parts

Fill your home with easy rent-to-own furniture and appliances

We Finance What We Sell90 DAYS SAME AS CASH

RefrigeratorsWashers & DryersSofas & Chairs

Dining Room SetsLampsCoffee Tables

MirrorsChest of DrawersDesks

Air ConditionersReclinersBedroom Sets

“Service Is Our Business”2318 E. Main • New Iberia, La. • 365-8853

FOUR SEASONS

Home Improvement Starts Here!

All Propane & Natural Gas

Supplies & EquipmentAvailableIncluding:

Regulators,Hoses & Fittings

Burners for every outdoor cooking needGas

Lights

LASSALLE GAS CO., INC.

Grilling & Outdoor CookingHeadquarters

Boiling Pots,Frying Pots & Baskets –Domestic & Industrial

Grade

Large Selection of Cast Iron Cookware,

including cracking pots

SINCE 1922Corner of Dale & Eden ~ New Iberia

364-4558 • 364-7161

Wash well behind the leaves ... use soap

SEE SOAP, PAGE 16

BEAUTIFY: Don’t be part of the problem

While a garden might be a safe haven,your home can be a death trap Accordingto Wyoming-based Western EcoSystemsTechnology, an estimated 98 million birdsare killed annually in the U.S. from collid-ing with glass windows. That is one birdfatality per house.

But you don’t need to be part of theproblem. Applying static-cling decals toyour windows will prevent birds frommistaking your windows for thin air. Andyou can apply such a decal without affect-ing the appearance of your home. Forexample, decals from WindowAlert relyon a special ultraviolet-reflecting coatingthat is invisible to humans but looks likea brilliant glow to birds. You can learnmore at www.WindowAlert.com.

“Your home needn’t pose a danger tobirds,” stresses Spencer Schock, founderof WindowAlert, Inc.

If you spot an injured bird in your gar-den, don’t rescue it. If it’s young, its par-

ents are likely nearby. If you want to takeaction, call your wildlife office for infor-mation on licensed rehabilitators.

With a few tweaks to your garden, youcan create an eco-friendly habitat for thebirds and the bees and everything inbetween. After all, there’s nothing morebeautiful than a garden that is not onlygood to you and your family, but towildlife, as well.

FROM PAGE 8

Applying static-cling decals toyour windows will preventbirds from mistaking your

windows for thin air. And youcan apply such a decal without affecting the

appearance of your home.

Countrydecor meets

modernstyle

SEE COUNTRY, PAGE 13

ASSOCIATED PRESS

A headboard made from old wood from abarn is shown in a style described as mod-ern country or farmhouse chic.

An unusual focal point is a gray, weath-er-beaten headboard.

“We used 100-year-old lumber takenfrom an old shack on my husband’saunt’s farm,” says Cunningham.

Redoing a bathroom in Ojai, Calif.,Kelley Davis-Motschenbacher used a time-worn pine table as a vanity, but droppedin a sleek modern washbowl and tap. Shefronted a new closet with a scraped-upvintage door, embellishing it with a cast-iron bird knocker. Glossy white subwaytiles and marble flooring blend with har-vest baskets and vintage artwork to makea luxurious yet homey bathroom that wasmostly sourced from garage sales, HomeDepot and the Internet.

Rie Sterling of Apex, N.C., is anotherModern Country blogger.

“One of the things I love about this styleis how unpretentious it is,” she says.“Nothing’s too precious, which is ideal ifyou have children. It’s hard to mess upsomething that’s already chipped or faded.”

She adds: “There’s a certain restfulnessabout it that appeals to so many, and it’srefreshingly attainable.” Garage sales,flea markets and online sites are goodsources for Country items, but you canalso find newly made pieces that evokethe vibe.

Dustin Glasscoe’s furniture studio,Vermont Farm Table, is filled with barstools, benches, dining tables and book-cases made of reclaimed pine. The patinaof the wood, coupled with Glasscoe’scraftsmanship, makes for furniture that’swarm and approachable.

“We’re really celebrating the true char-acter and qualities of the wood,” he says.

Urbanites may not have ready access tovintage goods, but the look’s easy to repli-cate with stuff from stores — Wisteria’siron cabinet bins and World Market’swoven reed baskets make great storage;IKEA’s got flat-woven, striped cotton rugs;Pottery Barn has antique glass picklingjars, wooden dough bowls and grain-sackthrow pillows.

Sandy Chilewich’s Faux Bois placematshave a digital image of a real wood plankprinted on Plynyl.

Schoolhouse Electric recreates early20th century light fixtures and iron bed-steads.

Repurposing is the watchword here:Put bath items in jars; magazines, towelsor toys in tubs or wooden crates; and turnthat great jam cupboard into a compacthome office. Add modern touches likeLucite chairs, a tailored pendant fixture,a lacquered Parsons table, or an accentwall painted in a bold hue.

If you’re looking for additional inspira-tion, check out Houzz.com. It’s a kind ofhome-design-centric Pinterest, wherehomeowners and professionals post pho-tographs, articles and advice; you’ll findgreat examples of Modern Country stylehere, as well as design help.


P.O. Box 9917 • New Iberia, LA 70562Out of Town: 800-303-2429

Kevin ViatorOwner & Operator

337-367-PESTProfessional Termite And Pest Control

FREE ESTIMATES

Recycling cans belong to the City of New Iberia. If you move, please leave them behind. Residents who need a recycling can may call the mayor’s office at City Hall 369-2300Option 1

ALUMINUM, TIN

& STEEL CANS

CARDBOARDCorrugated boxes and brown paperbags. Cardboard must be flattened.Remove all packaging materialsinside of boxes. Light-weight card-board, such as cake or tissue boxes areacceptable.

PLASTICAny plastic container with recycling symbol 1-7 stamped on bottom of container.

NEWSPAPER

GLASSClear, brown, green, and blue coloredglass bottles and jars only.

ASSORTED PAPERSComputer paper, office/school paper, junk mail,

magazines, catalogs, and telephone books.

TIRES, APPLIANCES, YARD WASTE

& LIGHT CONSTRUCTION DEBRISThese items will be picked up the day after your garbage iscollected. If Friday is your garbage day, yard waste and con-struction debris will be picked up on Monday. Please callGordon’s at 365-9034 with questions.

Materials should be placed parallel to the street, at curbside.Do not place debris on a concrete surfaceor within 5 feet of telephone poles ortrees. Do not put items on empty lots.Do not mix yard waste or constructiondebris with garbage. Householdappliances and regular size cartires will be collected.

Any work you contract for construction, remodeling, treeremoval, lot clearing, etc., is not covered under city contracts.Your contractor must provide proper disposal of all materials.The debris from the demolition of a home will not be collected.

YARD WASTE GUIDELINESBranches, tree limbs, trunks, shrubs, etc. will be collected. donot bundle. Leaves and grass clippings must be contained inplastic bags or garbage cans weighing less than 35 pounds.Mulch is available to the citizens of NewIberia Monday-Thursday 7am-5pm andFriday 7am-4pm at 614 Coteau Road(Hwy. 88 - Gordon’s Constructionand Landfill). 365-9034.

LIGHT CONSTRUCTION

DEBRIS GUIDELINESSheet rock, shingles, 2x4s, concrete, brick, vinyl siding,flooring, carpeting, celetex, plywood and windows areexamples of the materials which will be collected. Theseitems may be piled at the curb. Do not mix with yard wasteor garbage. Containerize anything less than 2 feet long.Creosote, asbestos and batteries will not be collected.

GARBAGE & FURNITURE

INFORMATIONPut your garbage can out the night beforeyour collection day (collection starts at5:00 am). Containers should be placedas close to the roadway as possible,without interfering with the movementof vehicles or pedestrians. Container information: NOT larger that 35 gallons, (NO 55gallon drums) and NOT to weigh more than 35 lbs.

Household furniture will be collected. Do not place garbage,yard waste or other debris on furniture.

We are NOT able to collect the following items: Hazardousmaterials, car batteries, liquids or paint cans (unless lids areremoved and all paint is dried).

Your garbage, furniture and recycling will all be picked up onyour regular collection day.

If you have any questions, Allied Waste can help. Please call 232-5730.

Recycle and Re-New Iberia!

CLIP THIS FORFUTURE REFERENCE

and holes in the building’sexterior and in the plumbing

system are also importantin keeping out not onlyinsects but vermin, Sellerssaid.

Small openings in thesmallest nooks and cran-

nies can invite bugs intoyour home, he said.

Heavy rain and floodingalso can bring in unwantedinvaders, such as ants andcockroaches.

According to an article bythe LSU AgCenter, mosthousehold insecticides canbe used to treat roaches but

additional help from a pro-fessional exterminator maybe needed in battling moreserious infestations.

Ants indoors, Sellers said, can be treat-ed with liquid pesticide. Outdoor ant pilesor bed can be treated with granule solu-tions or liquid but may require more thanone treatment.

To avert attracting flying insectsincluding roaches into your home installoutdoor lighting away but facing thebuilding instead of on the building,Sellers added.

Discarding old food products in the cab-inet and keep dishes clean are easy ways

to detract some insects, but others preferpaper, he said.

“Boxes and other items brought in thehome should be inspected for spiders,roaches and silverfish,” he said.Silverfish are particularly fond ofpaper products, from old magazines andnewspapers in the attic to cardboardstorage.

“Any unused paper products should bediscarded and taken out, that is what theyfeed and nest on.”

INSIDE: Those insects that bug you inside got into your home from the outsideFROM PAGE 3

‘Any unused paper products should be discarded and takenout, that is what they (silverfish) feed and nest on.’

Kevin SellersSugarland Exterminating owner

MULTIADBUILDER.COM

A pest contr ol expert saysinsects that bug you when theyget indoors come fr om outsideand advised homeowners toproperly care for the exterior ofyour home.

AT AG L ANCE

Here are somedetails aboutgetting rid ofpests:CRACKS and

holes in the exteriorand plumbing systemare entry ways forunwanted insects.TO avert flying

insects, including roaches,place outdoor lighting so it isn’tmounted to the building but willshine on the building.

COUNTRY: ‘One of the things I love about this style is how unpretentious it isFROM PAGE 12 ON THE ‘ ’ N E T

BECKY CUNNINGHAM blogs about her farmhouse remodel:www.bucketsofburlap.blogspot.com

RIE STERLING’S DECORATING blog: www.homeandharmony.blogspot.com

KELLEY Davis-Motschenbacher’s design site: www.kelleyandcompanyhomedesign.com

MARCH ISSUE honors Modern Country’s new trendsetters:www.countryliving.com

CHILEWICH FAUX BOIS placemat, $12: www.momastore.org

EARLY 20TH CENTURY LIGHTING: www.schoolhouseelectric.com

IRON CABINET BINS $79: www.wisteria.com

MEAGAN BASKETS, $34.99-$39.99: www.worldmarket.com

TABLES FROM ABOUT $1,530 and up: www.vermontfarmtable.com

PICKLING JARS, $139-179; dough bowls, $199-249; grain-sack pillow covers, $89.50:www.potterybarn.com

www.houzz.com

If you’re looking for additionalinspiration, check outHouzz.com.


Gardeners don’t have to remainhousebound during the vacationseason just because their edibles

and flowers need tending. Find a sitter tohandle the work.

Keep your must-do list simple, though.Few plant minders are willing to do win-dows or the laundry.

“The job depends upon what they havein their yards and how long they’ll begone,” said Caryn Sommersdorf, whooperates Green Garden Sitters inOrlando, Fla.

“A vegetable garden may need to bechecked every day. A flower garden, notso much.”

Sommersdorf and partner JenniferRichardson perform the typical seasonalgardening chores — weeding and water-ing, mowing and harvesting.

“We’ll also bring in the mail. Turn thelights off and on to make it look likesomebody’s home. We’ll fertilize andprune and care for our clients’ pets, too,”she said. “But we’re not going to clean orpaint the house.”

Sommersdorf got into the garden-sit-ting business a few years ago after ask-ing a friend to take care of her tomatoeswhile she was away.

“I asked her to water the plants, butshe didn’t think about picking them, andthe plants were a mess when I camehome,” she said.

“They had worms everywhere. Fruitflies. It took them a while to produceagain.” Reliable plant sitters can provide

peace of mind for vacationing garden-ers, Sommersdorf said. They also cansave them money.

“Florida has a lot of ‘snowbirds’ (winterresidents) who go away for half a yearand come back and all their landscapingis dead,” she said. “That’s quite an invest-ment lost.”

Gardeners going on vacation shouldcreate a chores checklist, and arrange foran interview and plant tour withprospective sitters well before departing.Show them where the hoses, pruners andother tools are kept and demonstrate howthey work. Offer up the edibles whenthey ripen, and point out your favoriteflowering plants to ensure they are notweeded out.

“Design a watering program. Group

your contain-er plants sothey’re easierto work with.Timers canbe great onhoses but besure you havesomeonearound whocan keep aneye on themfor you,” saidRobinHaglund,president ofGardenMentors Inc.in Seattle,who frequent-

ly is asked how to prep plants for trips.You may want to provide your own

supplies, too, such as fertilizers andpest-control products if you’re intoorganic gardening, she said. Garden sit-

ters also can serve as temporary man-agers of a property, said JackMcKinnon, who operates a businesscalled The Garden Coach in the SanFrancisco Bay Area.

“Some people hire maintenance servic-es for their yards,” he said.

“Some of these crews come at oddhours and need to be held accountable forwhat they do.”

McKinnon suggested a few ways to findgarden sitters: “Go online. Look for ads inthe paper under ‘Landscape Gardeners.’ Idoubt it’s all that difficult to find knowl-edgeable people looking for garden workin this economy.”

BY JESSICA GOFF

THE DAILY IBERIAN

They got in there somehow.That is what local and state experts on

indoor pests say about the many-legged,flying, hopping creepy crawlers that popup inside your home.

“Indoor insects come from the outside,”Kevin Sellers, who owns SugarlandExterminating in New Iberia.

Keeping away indoor pest starts withproperly caring for the exterior of yourhome, he said.

“Flower beds in the outside need to becleaned out annually,” he said. “Insectshide inside the soil over the winter suchincluding centipedes and millipedes.”

Trimming trees and shrubs away fromyour home or other buildings is also away to keep bug from working their wayinto there home, he said. Firewood piles

andother

debris attractedunwanted inhabi-tants such acockroaches,he said, andshould be keptaway from thehouse and elevated on firewood racks orsomewhere off the ground. Proper stepswhen landscaping such as establishing arock barrier at the foundation of yourhome can deter termites and other pestsfrom infiltrating your home, he said. Andtry not lay mulch up against the buildingfoundation.

“Centipedes, millipedes and cockroach-es will hide underneath in the mulch,” hesaid.

Always check with your termite treat-ment provider before installing flowerbeds, in case there is work that must bedone treat the foundation, Sellers said.

Sprinkler systems should also beinstalled pointing away from the wallsand foundation of the home, Sellers said.

“If a pest control product is put down

around the house, whether it’s granularor liquid, the sprinkler system will washit away,” he said.

Whether they are indoor or outdoorpest control products, be sure the read thelabels extremely carefully before use, LSUAgCenter Iberia Parish extension agentBlair Hebert said.

Making sure all water leaks are fixed


1006 #D Twenty Arpent Rd.,New Iberia

Ricky Bourque Cory Hebert

FOR ALL YOUR CAR & RESIDENTIALGLASS NEEDS

365-9311

FURNITURE TOPS, MIRRORS,FRAMELESS SHOWER DOORS & MORE

Home Improvement Sale!

3513 E. Old Spanish Trail, New Iberia

337-365-7225HOURS: MON-WED-FRI 11-6

PAINTPLASTIC ROLLERSMASKING TAPESEA SPONGE BRUSHESFLOOR COVERINGSLIGHT FIXTURESSTRIPPERSCLEANING PRODUCTSGREASE LIGHTNING

BULBSCOVERALLSMATTRESSESCLOTHINGLEATHER GOODSJACKETSBAGS100’S & 100’S OF ITEMS

A&

AAPPLIANCE CENTER65th

1947 2012ANNIVERSARY

1331 East Saint Peter St.New Iberia

337-364-0495

A&A APPLIANCE CENTER12 MONTHS

INTEREST FREE

FINANCINGTo qualified buyers

Ask Us About

Stop by and register for our65th Anniversary Give-Aways

(one entry per person)

1st Prize:Gas or Electric

(your choice of color)

Maytag Range(MER8880AS)

And more give-aways:Microwave, Toaster Oven & Toaster

Sale starts April 2nd

Specializing In Spider &Termite Control!

364-6927

Now Offering Mosquito Control!

We Wash, Dry, Fold & Iron

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEKLARGE MACHINES FOR COMFORTERS

WE USE

GAINDETERGENT

FLAT SCREENTVs FOR YOUR

ENTERTAINMENT

Open: 7 am - 9 pm

Drop off service 7 am - 12 pm • 4 pm -9 pm

812 E. Dale St., New Iberia • 367-3369

(Across from Post Office)

Care for exterior to keep inside pests away ‘If a pest control product is put down around the house,

whether it’s granular or liquid, the sprinkler system will washit away.’

Kevin Sellers

Sugarland Exterminating owner

HOME IMPROVEMENT?See The Daily Iberian

Business and Service Directoryfor local businesses that can help!

SEE INSIDE, PAGE 4

Going on vacation? Hire a ‘sitter’ to mind your garden

ASSOCIATED PRESS

This French flower bucket, with its selt-watering insert, makes thingsmuch easier if a gardener tends to be away a week or so. For longer peri-ods, consider hiring a garden sitter.

ON THE ’ N E T

FOR MORE ABOUT garden sitters, seethis University of Vermont ExtensionDepartment of Plant and Soil Science factsheet:http://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/jul99tips.htm


When Carol Maurer has a lot onher plate, she finds it useful tovisit the labyrinth made of

river rocks at the Delaware Art Museum,in Wilmington.

“It quiets my mind,” said Maurer, wholives in Hockessin, Del. “It sets the pathfor me so I can spiral inward.”

Labyrinths, which have been construct-ed for thousands of years, have become apopular addition to hospitals, gardensand public institutions.

With a single path in and out,labyrinths are designed to encouragereflection. They differ from mazes, whichare designed as puzzles. Labyrinths havebeen associated with religions and cul-tures throughout the world.

The number of labyrinths in the UnitedStates has been steadily increasing forabout 15 years, said Robert Ferre, alabyrinth builder who founded LabyrinthEnterprises.

“Nowadays they’re so widespread, it’smore about how to best utilize them thanwhat they are,” he said from San Antonio,Texas. When he started the business in1995, churches were his primary cus-tomers. Labyrinths were an importantfeature of European Roman Catholicchurches in the Middle Ages; walking onewas a devotional activity and representeda spiritual journey.

The most famous remaining labyrinthfrom that period is at Chartres Cathedral,near Paris. Many newer labyrinths arebased on the Chartres pattern.

They can be constructed of turf orstone or painted on pavement.

Today, labyrinths are widely used in sec-ular spaces too, said Maurer, who serves onthe board of The Labyrinth Society, anorganization dedicated to using and pro-moting the paths. She helped get thelabyrinth built near the sculpture gardenat the Delaware Art Museum.

“People are looking for ways to travelinward,” she said. “They’re trying to finda deeper connection with themselves thatmay be spiritual but not necessarily reli-gious.”

It’s even possible for homeowners tobuild labyrinths themselves in their yard,with rock, gravel or mulch, Ferre said.Plans are available online or through hiscompany.

Patricia Cadle, the oncology chaplain atN.C. Cancer Hospital in Chapel Hill, N.C.,encourages patients, family members andhospital employees to walk a labyrinth.

The medical facility dedicated an out-door labyrinth in 2009, and just completedan indoor one this month (February).“It’s a great tool for meditation and relax-ation,” Cadle said.

“Labyrinths can help connect the mind,the body and the spirit. I think we can usethat when we’re dealing with disease.”

Allegany College of Maryland inCumberland built a labyrinth in 2005 as

part of its integrative health program,which focuses on holistic approaches tohealing. The walking path has becomewidely used on campus, said Cherie Snyder,a professor and director with the program.

“Many of the faculty here have incorpo-rated it into their teaching,” she said.

The community, initially unsure of thelabyrinth, also has put it to good use, shesaid.


People often stare in disbelief when Isuggest buying a plant from a nurs-ery thousands of miles away. Surely

no plant could survive such a journey!Not so. This time of year, trucks and

airplane holds are filled with plants onthe move. If shipped from reputable nurs-eries, they thrive as well as plants pur-chased locally.

Buyer bewareThat “if” is a big one. Quality costs

money, so beware of any nursery offeringsuper-bargains or horticultural hype.

For instance, you might see a magazinead or catalog listing for a plant describedas a “climbing vine peach.” Be aware thatthis plant’s fruits might look like peachesbut are tasteless by comparison. This “vinepeach” isn’t even distantly related to a realpeach.

And just because a nursery offers an“ironclad guarantee” does not make it rep-

utable. Some disreputable nurseries offersuch guarantees but bank on customers’apathy or their forgetting about suchclaims when spring melts into summer.

A few rotten fruits do not ruin the wholebarrel, though: Many mail-order nurseriessell quality plants and also have strongguarantees. Just read between the lines ofany nursery ad, catalog or website to deter-mine if the business seems reputable, anddo your research about the plants.

Bare root or potted?Mail-order plants are shipped either

potted or bare root. “Bare root” soundsbrutal, but plants do fine shipped thisway if handled properly by the nurseryand you.

The nursery’s job is to dig the plantswhile they are leafless, except in the caseof small evergreens, then keep them coolwith their roots swathed in moist peat,sawdust, shredded newspaper or othermoist, spongy material. Years ago, Ireceived a small, bare-root bush cherry

plant that had been just tossed into a plas-tic bag; no wonder it never grew.

Your job is to unpack any bare-root plantsoon after its arrival, check that the rootsare still moist, then put it in the groundposthaste. If you cannot plant immediately,keep the plant cool and moist by putting itin your refrigerator with its roots wrappedin plastic, or by temporarily planting it in ashallow hole at a shady, moist location.


We’re Here To Help...Call Us!

Dan Doerle

Turn to the Experts

Doerle’s Heating & Cooling1320 E. Main St., New Iberia

Phone (337) 367-2511

40 YearsOf Service

Furniture • TVs • AppliancesNEW IBERIA

337-365-6657603-G WEST ADMIRAL DOYLE

OUTSIDE NEW IBERIA CALL 1-800-526-2771 HOME FURNISHINGS • CLOCK REPAIRS • TENT RENTALS

FURNITURE HOURS:9AM - 6PM – MON-FRI • 9AM - 2PM – SAT

GROCERY • DELI • BAKERY7AM - 8PM – MON-SAT• 7AM - 2PM – SUN

www.freminsfoodandfurniture.com

Advanced Comfort, Cushion Firm Support

Insight $1299 QueenSet


Plus Comfort, Extra Firm Support

Genius $1599 QueenSet


FINANCINGAVAILABLE

LAYAWAYSAVAILABLE

RELIEVE THOSE SWOLLEN LEGS AND FEET...SLEEP BETTER AND LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFE!

FLEX-A-BED GIVES YOU THE REST POSTURE THAT REFRESHES

IN MINUTES.

ASTHMA AND HIATAL HERNIA PATIENTS

AWAKE FRESH WITHOUT THAT MORNING BACKACHEPush-Button ComfortFlex-A-Bed...a new way to fight aches and pains! It adjusts automatically!HONEST SAVINGS DELIVERY + SERVICESOLD ONLY BY LOCAL EXCLUSIVE DEALERS

15 YEAR WARRANTY

First National

EST. 1905

1. Get price for N

ew Roof!

2. Call about r

eplacing AC un

it ! !

3. Get bids fr

om painters !!

4. New appliances

?? ?

5. *Call First Nati

onal Bank

337-276-369

2

For loan -

Turn your“To-Do” list

into a“DONE” list.

–

I ND EX

They come from outside

What’s origin of pesky indoor bugs ........ PAGE 3

Wash behind the leaves

Soap sprays drive pests away .................. PAGE 5

Keep home cool, costs down

Ways to keep energy bill low ................. PAGE 7

Bring on the beauty

Cultivate garden for wildlife ..................... PAGE 8

Coyote urine does the job

How to keep garden pest-free ................. PAGE 9

Phenology, anyone?

Plants cam tell you what to do ........... PAGE 11

Find a sitter for garden

Keep must-do list simple, though .......... PAGE 14

For peace of mind

Labyrinths become more popular ......... PAGE 15

Plants travel well this time of the year

Home & Garden is a supplemental publicationof The Daily Iberian, P.O. Box 9290,New Iberia, LA 70562.

Publisher..........................................................Will ChapmanManaging Editor................................................Jeff ZeringueAdvertising Manager................................................Alan RiniProduction Manager..........................................Jerry SextonBusiness Manager.........................................Amanda SenecaCirculation Manager....................................John “JP” Poirier

SEE TRAVEL, PAGE 16

Labyrinths designed to encourage reflection

ASSOCIATED PRESS

People walk a labyrinth at the Allegany College of Maryland in Cumberland, Md. Labyrinths are popular at hospitals, gardens and other public places.

HOME & GARDEN THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 201216 THE DAILY IBERIAN

A product of

Action outside keeps pests fromgett ing inside

...Pg 3

Coyote urine an eco-friendly way to keep pests out of fl owerbed

...Pg 9

Lots more ideas inside

HomeARDENG 2 0 1 22 0 1 2

&&

NOW HIRING!Join the best team in the industry!

Bob’s Tree Preservation, which specializes in tree care, conservation and preservation, is now taking applications for qualified sales technicians, for hi-quality,

Eco-friendly tree care, removals, soil-care and specialized large tree - planting.

We are your only complete source of organic pesticides, herbicide sprays,weed killers, fertilizers, along with organic tree, shrub and soil conditioners.

Email resume to bobstree.com or acornsofhope.orgor mail to

Bob’s Tree Preservation Co.740 S. Main Street, Church Point, LA 70525

Potted plants can go longer before beingplanted out in their permanent location— as long as you keep the potting soilmoist. The nursery’s job, in this case, is topack the plants to arrive at your doorstepwith their stems undamaged and theirsoil intact.

Some nurseries have mastered the art ofpacking and shipping live plants. Openinga shipping box of their neatly nestled,happy plants gladdens any plant lover’seyes.

Size mattersWhether you are ordering a bare-root

or potted plant — even if you are buyinglocally — do not always opt for the largestone you can buy.

Large, bare-root plants often suffermore in digging and transit. Large pottedplants often have their roots cramped andtwisted into undersize pots. In eithercase, growth of a smaller plant mightoutstrip growth of a larger one after a

couple of years.There is something satisfying about

walking into a nursery on a balmy springday, drinking in the bright colors, thesmells, the riot of greenery and textures,then buying a plant.

But if a local nursery does not have thetype or quality you desire, buy mail-order.

TRAVEL: Arriving at your doorstepFROM PAGE 2 ON THE ’ N E T

http://leereich.blogspot.com/

http://leereich.com/

Some nurseries have masteredthe art of packing and shipping live plants.

SOAP: Repeated treatments are needed

diseases, soaps are contact poisons, effec-tive only as long as target organisms arewet.

This is both good and bad.Sprayed perennial weeds often have

enough energy stored in their roots toresprout, so they need repeated treat-ment. Hand weeding just might prove eas-ier.

Similarly, repeated treatments areneeded to kill insects that hatch fromeggs on treated plants to get each flushof hatchlings. Soaps have no effect oninsect eggs.

On the plus side, beneficial ladybugsand lacewings hanging around house-plants and garden plants usually haveenough time to up and fly away beforebeing doused with a soap spray. Once thespray dries, all harm has passed and theycan return.

For maximum effectiveness, sprayeither weeds or garden plants with soapwhen the weather is overcast or cool, and

drying is slowed.The best water for mixing up a soap

solution is soft water, just as for bathing;rainwater is ideal. And once the soap isdissolved, no more shaking is needed —further shaking might cause too muchfoaming.

Avoid spraying a stressed or bloomingplant.

Finally, thoroughly douse whateverplant you spray so that, to reiterate Mr.Andrew Jackson Downing’s advice of 167years ago, the soap “penetrates all thecrevices.”

FROM PAGE 5

For maximum effectiveness,spray either weeds or gardenplants with soap when theweather is overcast or cool,

and drying is slowed.

2012 Home & Garden

Documents

Transcript of 2012 Home & Garden