(ARA) - Gardening is becoming more popular than ever, thanks to a number of converging circumstances, including the First Lady's planting of a White House organic garden. Because of the sagging economy, people want to save money anywhere they can, and vegetable gardening is a great way to save money on foods that can be costly. Additionally, more and more people want to live a "green" lifestyle, and you can't get more local than picking vegetables right in your back yard. Plus, when you start an organic garden, it's even more environmentally friendly.

When you start on your way to growing healthy garden fruits and vegetables, keep in mind that tending an organic garden has special requirements and poses some different challenges than conventional gardens do. However, the increased popularity of organic gardening has led to some great innovative products that can help you maintain your plot without adding harmful chemicals.

Whether you live within city limits or in a more bucolic setting, it's always fun to see wildlife - just not when they're munching on your zucchini or stealing your strawberries. For most organic gardeners, the goal is to get rid of overly curious garden guests, but without forcing them to ingest poisons or other chemicals that can hurt them.

One of the most trusted ways to keep a strictly organic garden free from unwelcome animal browsers is with the Swedish-developed, garden pest repellent Plantskydd (pronounced "plant-skid" - a Swedish word meaning "plant-protection"). Sweden's reputation as a rigorously green-minded country comes through in these non-toxic repellents, which were the first deer and rabbit repellents to be listed by the USDA-approved Organic Material Review Institute (OMRI), as "suitable for use in the production of food and fiber." Plantskydd's 100 percent organic ingredients make it safe to use around pets and children, but it's also effective in that it won't wash away in the rain, giving your garden longer-lasting protection.

Claude Boisvert, president of Tree World Plant Care Products, Inc., says Plantskydd does double duty as a garden pest repellent and fertilizer. "Because it's a blood meal-derived product, it provides the nutrients necessary for plants to grow strong and produce abundantly, in addition to repelling garden pests like deer and rabbits," Boisvert says. "It's been lauded for its repelling effectiveness by forestry experts, the National Home Gardening Club, as well as soil and water conservation districts throughout the United States."

Other ways to protect your garden include putting netting over the plants that birds, rabbits and other critters favor. Look for netting with small holes that you can spread over strawberry patches, or wire that you can circle around delicate vegetables.

When selecting solutions for feeding or protecting your garden, be sure to do your research and find out the true certification status of products you buy. As the move toward growing one's own organic food becomes mainstream, some repellent manufacturers, who use non-certified ingredients, use terms such as "all natural," or "environment friendly" on package labels in an attempt to associate their products with this "organic" trend. OMRI continues to be a good resource for learning about which products are truly safe and organic.

If you're concerned about your family's health and that of the planet, planting an organic garden is the way to go. You'll not only be able to harvest delicious, nutritive foods right in your backyard, but you'll also be doing your part to foster a healthier environment.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

On Saturday, April 10, Polly Rooker with the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency will present a free seminar on Creating a Backyard Habitat at Garr's Rental and Feed. The seminar begins at 9 a.m. Reservations are encouraged: call 615-754-2777. Garr's is located at 11610 Lebanon Road in Mt. Juliet.

The seminar will discuss how to make your backyard appealing to beautiful songbirds, hummingbirds, butterflies and the benefits of having them in your yard.

"Many people enjoy feeding birds throughout the winter, but don't know how to keep the birds in their yard once spring arrives," explained Roy Garr, president and owner of Garr's Rental and Feed. "This seminar will discuss specific plants, both annuals and perennials, to make your yard attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies."

The seminar will last approximately one-and-a-half hours and allow questions and answers throughout the session. Light refreshments will be served. Seating is limited, so reservations are encouraged. Call 615-754-2777 to reserve a spot.

Garr's Rental and Feed is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. and from noon until 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit www.garrs.biz.

PHOTO CREDIT: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eclectic-echoes/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Natural beauty and man-made artistry will be combined and celebrated at the 21st Annual Nashville Lawn & Garden Show on Thursday, March 4, through Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. Staged to the them Artistic by Nature, the show will feature an acre of live gardens, 26 free lectures, a floral design gallery and more than 250 exhibit booths filled with plants, products, services, equipment and information offered by horticultural experts and vendors from 15 states.

"During the past 20 years, gardeners and garden lovers have made the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show the most popular horticultural event in Tennessee. We are very proud that the 21st anniversary show has been named a Top 20 Event by the South East Tourism Society of the USA," said Randall Lantz, co-manager of the event, which is produced by the Horticultural Association of Tennessee.

Gardens are the show's centerpiece. Created by Middle Tennessee professional landscape designers and horticultural groups, the gardens at the 2010 show will focus on the artistry of combining thousands of varied, colorful plants and flowers with man-made features such as stonework, gazebos, fountains, ponds, sculpture and fire pits. The show's Artistic by Nature theme is reflected in garden names such as Artful Inspirations; A Stroke of Color - A Splash of Thyme; Mother Nature's Paintbrush; and Artistry in Motion.

A series of 26 free lectures will cover a wide range of topics, many of them exploring the show's theme. Acclaimed Nashville photographer and native plant expert, J. Paul Moore will share his award winning photographs that reveal the artistry of nature on Thursday, March 4, at 3 p.m. during his presentation, The Art of Seeing: A Photographer's Perspective. Patricia Kyritsi Howell, who calls both northern Georgia and the Greek island of Crete her home, will celebrate the art of healing with medicinal herbs on Friday, March 5, at 2 p.m., when she will discuss Mad Dog Skullcap, Puke Weed & Faerie Torches: Medicinal Plants of the South. On Friday evening, she will present a workshop session from 6 until 8 p.m., Our Living Apothecary: Native Medicinal Plants of the South and Their Uses; there is a $20 fee to participate in the workshop. On Saturday, March 6, at noon, Howell's topic is The Sustainable Herbs that Everyone Should Know & Grow. Award-winning artist Sherri Warner Hunter of Bell Buckle, Tenn. will demonstrate and reveal the beauty and versatility of concrete during her lecture on Saturday, March 6 at 3 p.m., Concrete in the Garden: Yard Art, Sculptures and Ornaments.

Another featured speaker will be Harvey Cotten, chief operating officer at the Huntsville Botanical Garden in Huntsville, Ala., a weekly home and garden columnist in the Huntsville Times, and a weekly guest on a Huntsville noonday TV show. Cotten is the co-author of Easy Gardens for the South, the topic of his presentation on Saturday, March 6 at 4 p.m. He will discuss how to create gorgeous gardens with the easiest, colorful, low-water plants the South has to offer. Click here to view the complete schedule for the series of free lectures - many lecturers will sell their books and products after their presentations.

The show's spectacular floral design gallery, featuring the work of more than 25 of the best designers in the mid-south region, delights show attendees of every age. Items offered in the show's 250 exhibit booths range from tractors to tulips and sundials to seeds. If it has to do with gardening and outdoor living, it probably can be found at the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show.

FEATURED NASHVILLE LAWN & GARDEN SHOW PARTICIPANTS FROM WILSON COUNTY (as of Feb. 11, 2010)

Speakers

Jim Garrison, Tennessee Beekeepers Association (The Beekeepers Association is based in Watertown).

Date and Time of Lecture: Thursday, March 4 at 5 p.m.

Lecture Topic: Beekeeping

Gardens

Living Stone, Brush Creek

Garden Title: Tranquil Retreat

Ponds by David, Inc. Aquatic Nursery and Supplies, Mt. Juliet

Garden Title: Artistry in Motion

Roots Outdoor Designs, Mt. Juliet

Garden Title: Where Plants and Art Combine

Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, Mt. Juliet

Garden Title: Saving Tomorrow's Wildlife Today

Exhibitors

Eastman Hardscape Construction, Mt. Juliet

Garr's Rental & Feed, Mt. Juliet

Kathy Chester Studio, Mt. Juliet

Lynch Tree Service, Lebanon

Moss Florist & Garden Center, Mt. Juliet

Needhams Nursery, Mt. Juliet

Unique Product Sales Co., Mt. Juliet

Watermelon Moon Farm, Lebanon

Floral Designers

Scott Graham - S.S. Graham, Lebanon

Cary Ann Misamore - Fresh by Carry Ann, Mt. Juliet

Brenda Moss - Moss' Florist, Mt. Juliet

Special Offers & Events: In celebration of the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show's 21st anniversary, anyone who presents a photo driver's license to prove a birthdate in 1989 will receive one (1) free admission to the show. $2 discount coupons for the show are available at participating branch locations of Regions Bank, the show's sponsor. On March 4, 5 and 6, beginning at 5 p.m., all tickets are buy one get one free. In addition, $1 discount coupons for show admission are available on the Nashville Lawn & Garden Show website. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more adults when purchased in a block at the ticket window. Discount coupons and offers cannot be combined.

In celebration of the show's 21st anniversary, there will be a 21st Anniversary Celebration Reception in the gardens on Friday, March 5, and Saturday, March 6, from 5 until 8 p.m. The reception will feature tastings by Barefoot Wines.

Proceeds from the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show are used by the Horticultural Association of Tennessee to fund horticultural projects throughout Tennessee. For more complete information, call the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show office at 615-876-7680 or visit www.nashvillelawnandgardenshow.com.

Representatives of four Wilson County landscaping and gardening companies and a wildlife protection organization recently met to make plans for the 21st Annual Nashville Lawn & Garden Show that will be presented March 4 - 7 at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds.

More than 26 live gardens will be created for the show, which will be staged to the theme Artistic by Nature. The show will also feature free lectures, a floral design gallery and 250 vendor exhibit booths.

Reviewing floorplans for the show are (from left to right): John Lohmann, show chairman; David Wills, Ponds By David in Mt. Juliet; Marty Rush, Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Mt. Juliet; Chris Agee, Living Stone in Brush Creek; Chris Ehrhart, Summit Landscaping in Mt. Juliet; and Wesley Wall and Kyle Moss, Roots Outdoor Designs of Lebanon.

For more information about the show, please call 615-876-7680 or visit www.nashvillelawnandgardenshow.com.

(ARA) - From hardy hybrids to stylish, smart gardens, spring 2010 promises exciting new plants and products for garden lovers everywhere.

"People want easy plants and products that are attractive and good for the environment and perform well in their gardens," says Susan McCoy, garden writer and trend spotter. "And that's what the new plants and products this spring will deliver."

McCoy reveals a few of her favorite garden superstars for spring that will chase away those winter blahs as you get ready to get your hands back in the earth and garden.

Next big thing for small gardens  
McCoy loves the newest Drift Roses from The Conard-Pyle Co., introducer of the famous Knock Out family of roses. A cross between full-size groundcover roses and miniatures, both Sweet Drift and Apricot Drift Roses offer delicate, double flowers and continuous blooming throughout the season. With exceptional disease resistance and winter hardiness, these low-maintenance beauties are the perfect choice for small gardens or along paths and walkways.

Get a jump on spring
Looking to get a jump on spring planting? McCoy suggests FreezePruf - a revolutionary new spray from the Liquid Fence Company (www.liquidfence.com) - that may be the "holy grail" for gardeners. Developed by botanists, FreezePruf protects your lush flower baskets, veggies, herbs and favorite plants from late spring frost/freeze and ice crystal damage. This non-toxic spray can increase a plant's cold tolerance from 2.2 to 9.4 degrees (depending on the plant variety and the length of the frost/freeze event) and give gardeners about two additional weeks of growing and harvesting in spring and fall. It's almost like moving your garden 200 miles further south.

Tickled pink
Pink is the new blue. The first-ever pink blueberry (www.briggsnursery.com) - Vaccinium 'Pink Lemonade' from Briggs Nursery - is one of the most exciting new plants McCoy has seen in years and is a must-have for your garden. 'Pink Lemonade' provides delicious, sweet fruit rich in anti-oxidants, plus four seasons of color: pinkish-white flowers in spring, bright pink fruit in summer, great fall color and dusky auburn stems in winter. Growing about 5 feet around, this showy ornamental looks great as a hedge border or stand-alone shrub with the added benefit of luscious fruit in your cereal or pies - or by the handful. For more information or where to purchase visit www.briggsnursery.com.

Go native, go local
Native plants are clearly the next big thing in gardening, and it's easy to go native with American Beauties native plants (www.ABNativePlants.com). These native shrubs, trees, vines, grasses and perennials are hand-picked for their beauty and low-maintenance, making it simple to attract bees, birds and butterflies to a backyard habitat. The wildlife will appreciate the food and shelter, and when you purchase them, a contribution is made to the National Wildlife Federation Backyard Habitat program (www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife).

Catch daylily fever
Daylily fever is contagious and you're likely to catch the bug as you fall in love with the new fire-engine-red daylily from Centerton Nursery. McCoy digs this new, hardy, early and repeat bloomer - Jersey Earlybird 'Cardinal'- bred by world-renown daylily hybridizer, Dr. Darrel Apps. This easy-care daylily offers early-blooming great color and reblooms multiple times throughout the season. It's pest- and drought-resistant and is perfect in beds, borders and containers. Check it out at www.centertonnursery.com and earlybirddaylily.com.

Smart and simple
Want to bring the outdoors in and grow fresh herbs (www.fertileearth.com) and vegetables in the kitchen or on the balcony? McCoy loves Simple Gardens, the innovative new plant system from Fertile Earth that comes with soil, seeds and a how-to guide packed in stylish square containers. Perfect for indoor gardens or to start seeds. They come in a variety of hip colors and make wonderful gifts. Now it's a snap to grow kitchen gardens in any bright spot -- just add water.

Grow 'em right
The new Organic Mechanics Planting Mix (www.organicmechanicsoil.com) is like having all the goodness of compost in a bag. At planting time, just mix in the nutrient-rich planting mix to revitalize your garden soil. It helps retain moisture and accelerates root-zone establishment for healthier trees, shrubs, fruits, veggies and flowers. Get it this spring in Mid-Atlantic garden centers and Whole Foods stores.

Outdoor designer decor
McCoy loves the latest "designer" doormats from Imports Unlimited (www.wholesaledoormats.com). Made from 100 percent natural coco and mainly recycled rubber, these environmentally friendly eco-mats come in array of popular designs and colors. With over 180 unique patterns to choose from, adding your own personal style, whether it's formal, classical or whimsical, to your outdoor space is now easy and affordable.

All that jazz
For every rose lover, McCoy has discovered a new spray and way to keep roses healthy and strong. Jaz Rose Spray (www.jazsprays.com) naturally reduces damage from disease and common environmental stresses. This new plant-strengthening spray with jasmonate -- which occurs naturally in plants - provides increased resistance to disease, drought, and temperature extremes. Recently endorsed by the American Rose Society (ARS), Jaz Rose Spray boosts your plant's natural resistance to environmental stress and encourages vigorous roots, growth and blooms. For more information visit www.gardenmediagroup.com

Courtesy of ARAcontent

As athletes from around the globe descend upon Vancouver for February's 2010 Winter Olympic Games, they will be greeted with fanfare, pageantry and a radiant example of craftsmanship unique to Wilson County.

A custom fire pit designed and built by Lebanon resident Rick Wittrig will serve as the courtyard centerpiece for Vancouver's Olympic Village, which will provide a home to over 2,800 athletes, coaches and officials throughout the Winter Olympics.

Upon learning his work had been selected for display in the Olympic Village courtyard, Wittrig said he was very surprised and considered it a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Wittrig, who grew up learning the ins and outs of welding and other skills in a Mennonite farming village on the Illinois prairie, built his first fire pit just two years ago as an accent piece for his home on Barton's Creek.

"We wanted a fire pit for our family. We went out and bought one ... but it fell apart after a while," he recalled. "So, I thought I should make one."

Wittrig had friends who used old industrial tanks to craft smokers for cooking meat. After discussing his desire to build a fire pit with them, he discovered the bowl-shaped ends of the industrial tanks were perfect for fashioning fire pits.

After the first fire pit was completed, Wittrig's friends began to inquire about the piece and whether or not he would be willing to build fire pits for their homes, too.

"I realized there was a niche here and, using a plasma cutter, I started cutting designs in the fire pits," he said.

On April 1, 2008, Wittrig ordered 20,000 lbs. of steel and went straight to work. Shortly thereafter, he began taking his custom fire pits to garden centers and nurseries to sell. Later, he traveled to art shows around the country, garnering acclaim for his works. The schedule, however, kept him away from his family on most weekends, and he began to look for other ways to market his wares.

"So, I got in touch with Woodland Direct, which is based out of Michigan. They're great people. We've got a great relationship, and they've done great work," Wittrig said.

Ultimately, his relationship with Woodland Direct would lead to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, he continued.

"Someone with the Olympics saw my work on Woodland Direct's website ... and they contacted the company," Wittrig said, noting a representative from the company called him to share the good news.

The design of Wittrig's Olympics-bound fire pit, known as "Third Rock," originally began as a project the artist intended to build and keep.

"It was something I originally did for me. It's a giant globe. Using the plasma cutter, I cut out the oceans and left the continents," Wittrig, who has called Tennessee home for the past 25 years, said. "We're thinking about traveling to the games now to see it."

For more information on Wittrig and his work, please visit www.firepitart.com. To view a selection of his works, including "Third Rock," be sure to take a look at the Image Gallery below.

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