| Grancy graybeard stars in landscapes
It's hard to believe that a native, spring-blooming tree can be so passionately loved from the Gulf Coast all the way to Pennsylvania and New York, but that is how people feel about the grancy graybeard. It is known as old man's beard or white fringe tree in some areas. They are in glorious bloom now in the lower South and as spring arrives farther north, they will bring joy throughout the rest of the states. Botanically speaking, grancy graybeard is Chionanthus virginicus. The name Chionanthus comes from the Greek words meaning "snow flower." It is considered a large shrub or small tree, reaching about 20 feet tall. It often develops a multi-trunk that makes it among the more picturesque trees in the spring landscape. Its stature allows it to be a stand-alone specimen or an accent, but to combine it in a bed with other spring bloomers is like creating a fine piece of artwork.
Area company gives job opportunities to disabled
In a one- to two-step process, Gaytan fastens a black rubber grommet to a yellow plastic disc in assembly line fashion at George Fischer Signet Inc. Above his workstation, two small awards remind him of jobs well done. One reads: "Good Work." The other affords him the title of "Hardest Worker." "I like my job," the 46-year-old Montebello man said, smiling. It's a feeling that most of the workers at Lincoln Training Center have. They are happy to offer a skill and even happier to have jobs. "At Lincoln, we feel everybody deserves a chance at a good life," said RoseMary Garza, vice president of rehabilitation programs at the center, which provides job-skill training and employment opportunities to more than 400 people with developmental disabilities. "Work is an essential part of having a good life, feeling that you can contribute," she added.
New landscaping designed with an eye for fire safety
Improvements made to a hillside home, chosen last summer to showcase how fire dangers can be lessened through landscaping, were unveiled Friday to a group of fire officials and landscapers.
Heavy equipment cut, tore and chewed its way through the yard of Adrian Buoncristiani, a retired teacher who has lived in Lakeview for 25 years.
"Now Adrian's a lot safer than he was," said JoAnne Skelly, an educator for University of Nevada, Reno, Cooperative Extension.
The level of safety also had to be balanced with Buoncristiani's aesthetic needs. For example, while the dense greenery in his front yard provided him with a sense of privacy, it also provided a place for fire to possibly spread and jump to his home, Skelly said.
Ultimately, a compromise was reached by not removing all the limbs from lower portions of spruces in the front of his home.
Spring-Green Lawn Care is Celebrating its 30th Anniversary, and ...
Plainfield, IL, April 14, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Spring-Green Lawn Care CEO Tom Hofer grew up on a farm in Peoria county, Ill. Befitting his midwestern roots, he’s a practical man. As the Plainfield, Ill.-based lawn care company celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, Hofer will take a moment to enjoy a slice of cake, but that’s about it. There’s too much work to be done.That’s because Spring-Green – one of the top five lawn and tree-care companies nationwide – has quietly been solidifying its reputation as America’s neighborhood lawn-care provider.In an industry where slow and steady growth is the norm, Spring-Green has been busier than a patch of backyard grass sprouting after a warm spring shower. The company has enjoyed an average of eight percent growth annually since its founding in 1977 – it was almost 11 percent in 2006 – and systemwide revenue has increased 45 percent during the last five years alone.With systemwide sales of just over $26 million in 2006, Spring-Green is climbing toward the company’s long-term goal of becoming a $100 million franchise system; a status Hofer says can be reached in about 15 years if the growth rate of the last several years is maintained."Homeowners are desperately seeking a professional, local alternative to large, national companies," Hofer said.
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