GreenMark Public Relations®, Inc.

Gazebos can be both functional and decorative, often providing a unifying role in a landscape. That’s according to Allison Beatty of the Chicago Tribune (July 17, 2009), but an undeniable observation on the eye-catching structure. Pergolas are popular home structures, which have four vertical posts for support, topped by horizontal beams overhead. Homeowners who want an outdoor dining and entertainment experience often turn to pergolas, as it serves more like an attachment to a house. Gazebos tend to be freestanding and larger, with a solid roof. Some people add electricity to gazebos, to allow for a ceiling fan, lighting or a television. It’s easy to get carried away with outdoor structures, so the best advice is to keep in mind the scale and style of your accompanying home.

Robert Milani, a landscape architect with Chalet, said, “If the house has a portico, the pergola should match so the transition from the house to the landscape is seamless and you’re not introducing a new style or material. The gazebo or pergola should also be strategically positioned so that it can be seen in its entirety from inside of the house. When deciding where to place a structure, I draw sight lines from the major areas of the home — the dining room, kitchen, living room, rear door… If you look through the window, it should be symmetrically centered on the window. If it’s off center and you’re seeing a post, that will be confusing to the eye.”

Location is important and so is cost. Pergolas range from $5,000 to $25,000 and gazebos from $10,000 to $40,000. Also, many structures require a building permit, so check with your neighborhood code requirements.

Read the Chicago Tribune article on their Web site to hear from more garden experts on outdoor structures.

Garden reporter Beth Botts has spent more than 20 years on staff at the Chicago Tribune, where her stories won bronze, silver and gold awards from the Garden Writers Association. She was raised on Chicago’s south side by an organic gardener and environmentalist and now resides in a leafy suburb on the edge of Chicago. She says there’s always something to do in the garden and offers her uplifting advice in a friendly, conversational tone on her new garden blog, “Growing in Chicago.”

Follow Beth’s blog, “Growing in Chicago,” here.

On June 16, 2009, The Chicago Tribune reports on a new crop of green banks sprouting up in Chicago. Becky Yerak, of Tribune Newspapers, writes, “In recent months, investor groups in Illinois and Pennsylvania have gotten regulatory approval to open GreenChoice Bank in Chicago and e3bank in Malvern, Pa., joining New Resource Bank in San Francisco, Green Bank in Houston and First Green Bank in Eustis, Fla.”

These banks market their green policies by offering lower interest rates on loans to green builders and borrowers who buy fuel-efficient cars and incentives to depositors who opt out of paper installments.  Research firm Mintel surveyed consumers, of whom 56 percent found paperless accounts to be genuinely ecologically friendly, not just a cost-cutting ploy.

With bank failures widespread through the country, GreenChoice Bank aspires to be one of the Midwest’s first green lenders. “Sustainability has entered the mainstream, as evidenced by the ubiquity of ‘green’ messaging and reporting in the media,” said GreenChoice’s application with the Office of Thrift Supervision. Steve Sherman, who will be GreenChoice’s chief operating officer, is accredited in green building practices by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED. On June 2, 2009, GreenChoice received conditional regulatory approval, and it hopes to raise $13.5 million to $16 million in capital.

In addition to the above mentioned benefits to green banking, GreenChoice Bank is pushing envelope-free ATMs and remote deposit capture, in which the business customer can deposit checks without visiting a bank. First Green Bank, which opened earlier in 2009, offers zero-interest loans to workers who buy cars that get more than 30 miles to the gallon.

Allison Beatty of the Chicago Tribune said “Nothing takes the chill out of a Chicago spring quite like an outdoor fireplace or fire-pit.” Since spring averages 50 or so degrees in the Chicago area, unlike “normal” springs everywhere else, a roaring fire helps ease the chill and creates a warm outdoor environment in your backyard. The fireplace doesn’t have to stick out awkwardly either because there are many customizable types and shapes to match the patio, pool or other setting. Robert Milani of Chalet said in Beatty’s article, “The biggest trend we’re seeing is people reinvesting in their house and creating outdoor rooms and enjoying family, whether it’s with an outdoor kitchen, fireplace or other gathering places.” In the summer of economic downturn, people scrap the fancy vacations for a more affordable “stay-cation” and they might consider the value of a home. The addition of a fireplace or an outdoor kitchen can be a relatively low-cost addition with a high turnaround value if you were to sell the home someday.

There is a cost, however, and a commitment in installing a fireplace or a fire-pit as well as differences to consider. A fireplace typically covers a larger space than a pit and most are made of stone or brick assembled on-site. Outdoor fireplaces can range from $3,500-$25,000  while fire-pits are easier to install, smaller and cost between $1,500 and $3,000 for a built-in model. When choosing between a fireplace or a fire-pit, consider the size of the area you’d like to designate and don’t forget seating area. Beatty recommends considering “your overall landscaping goals as you debate wehther to buy one and how much space to use.

Each structure can be fueled by wood or outfitted with gas logs. Milani suggests checking with your local building department to make sure the type of area you want is within code, “some towns, for example, do not allow wood-burning fireplaces outdoors or have guidelines regarding how close the fireplace can be to the house.” You can of course, opt for supplemental heat fire-pits and chimineas or portable units, which are smaller in size and less expensive.

The article referenced in this post was by Allison Beatty and appeared on Chicagotribune.com, Apr. 17, 2009 and also in the Chicago Tribune newspaper (Chicago Homes, Section 6, Page 7). Other articles about fireplaces and fire-pits involving Chalet include the Apr. 1009 issue of North Shore Magazine (Pages 8, 66-71, 74-75) and NorthShoreMag.com.

Appearing in the Saturday, Mar. 21, 2009 edition of SeattleTimes.com’s Home & Garden Section, Nina A. Koziol of Chicago Tribune offered “8 tips to spice up your landscape,” including advice from Chalet and other Illinois landscaping experts. In the sixth tip, Tony Fulmer of Chalet, said to “plunk a pot.” He said an annual application of organic compost from your own back yard can make a dramatic difference in the borders of your yard, “Top-dressing with compost, whether it be around shrubs, perennials or annuals, encourages microbial activity in the soil and that’s good.” He recommended saving those one-gallon plant pots, too, suggesting that after washing them out, to place them over newly emerging perennials. “You can dump the compost throughout the bed so it’s one or two inches deep. Pull up the pots and you have perfect circles around each plant. It’s an effective time saver and you won’t have the comopst resting on a plant’s tender stems,” Fulmer said.

Advice from others included trying new plants, add and tend to plants gradually through the spring and summer for changing colors, cover young plants to keep unwanted bugs out and hide weeds once you’ve pulled them for instant compost. Learn more about these tips and see the rest of the list on the SeattleTimes.com website.

On Mar. 8, 2009, Beth Botts of the Chicago Tribune posed this question to Chalet’s Laura Justice , “How do you select the right pot for gardening?”

Container gardening is a growing trend as more people in urban areas fill their patios, balconies and roofs with flowers and plants, but more thought often goes towards what goes into the pot, rather than the pot itself. Justice, the herbaceous plant manager with the landscape division of Chalet, provided some tips for pot shopping.

Bigger is better. Small pots don’t hold enough soil and dry quickly, so watering becomes a chore. Justice advises never bothering with a container that holds less than three gallons. A larger container also enables better display.

The right material. “Nothing is forever,” Justice said, “Even concrete will crack eventually.” The most fragile materials are terra cotta and glazed ceramics, which are pots best kept indoors during harsh weather. For outdoor use, go for metal and concrete containers — though take caution not to go metal on expensive surfaces like stone patios or wooden decks because they could rust and stain. For a large, year-round container, go with plastic or fiberglass. Both can look good and are flexible, but over time even they could fade or crack.

Drainage is essential. Unless making a water garden, make sure there’s a hole in the bottom of the pot. Drill one if needed. Justice suggests elevating any pot on “feet,” purchased at garden centers (or use three bottle cap-sized objects). Wire baskets with moss or coir liners drain quickly, but dry out easily. The best suggestion for hanging plants is to put the plants in plastic pots with holes and hide the pot inside the moss liner.

Style matters. Choose a plant that blends into the look and feel of your house, yard or apartment. Don’t clash, it doesn’t look good! Avoid cheap, unattractive containers that detract from the plants.

Perspective and scale. When selecting a window box or hanging planter, think about how it looks from all angles. Ask yourself, “Does it make an impact from a distance?” Containers should complement the scale of a doorway or facade.

Read the entire article for more advice, here.

Chicago Tribune contributor Barbara Mahany’s report, “Gardening is dirty work, here’s how to come clean” was featured in the July 26, 2008 edition of Myrtle Beach Online (South Carolina) Home & Garden section. The article features confessions and advice by gardeners who just can’t resist diggin’ in the the dirt. One piece of advise on how to stay clean comes from horticulturalist, Jennifer Brennan, at Chalet Nursery. She suggests slathering her hands with petroleum jelly or goopy lotion, “You have to use so much you think you’re using way too much,” says Brennan. “Rub it in your cuticles, so you seal the cellular walls, and then the dirt can’t get in.”

For more simple solutions and simply great advice, read the rest of the article here.

Chicago Tribune contributor Beth Botts suggests reading “Roy Diblik’s Small Perennial Gardens: The Know Maintenance Approach” (American Nurseryman, 132 pages, $24.95) in the July 13, 2008 Home & Garden section. With a design like that of a cookbook, Botts says the book will help with one of the trickier tasts for gardeners: combining perennials. The plants are all tested at Diblik’s Northwind Perennial Farm in Burlington, Wis., near Lake Geneva. Northwind supplies many of their plants to Chalet nursery in Wilmette.

With summer underway, Chalet is the go-to place for Chicagoans to get supplies for their garden. It is no surprise to us that it was recently featured in the North Shore Magazine as one of the best local businesses (July 2008, pg 53).

The Sunday, July 6 edition of the Chicago Tribune featured Chalet twice in their Home and Gardens section. The first mention was an article titled “The dirt of cleaning up dirty gardeners,” by Barbara Mahany, featuring Mud Gloves available at Chalet (Section 15, page 4). The second mention was in “Fleur du jour,” featuring Steve Kooyenga describing why he loves the Echinacea Purpurea ‘Fatal Attraction’ cone-flower (Section 15, page 8).

Of course, there’s more to do than just shop at Chalet’s Garden Center. The July/August issue of Chicagoland Gardening features several listings of Chalet in their “Calendar of Events” (page 78). These events include: “Cooking with Herbs,” featuring Dave Esau, Dave’s Specialty Foods, on July 10-11; “New, Better Shrubs for the Home Garden,” with Dave Wanninger, July 17-18; “Watering Instructions,” Tony Fulmer, July 24-25; “Harvest Lecture,” July 31- August 1. Also, Pioneer Press promotes lectures with Dave Wanninger, Tony Fulmer and Jennifer Brennan in their July 3 issue in “Items: Home & Design briefs.”

The title of this blog comes from an article by Ideal Bite. Posted on their website, July 7, this “short but sweet” article features mid-summer planting tips from Chalet’s Jennifer Brennan.
Click here to read this article.

For more information on Chalet, visit their website by clicking here.

In the Chicago Sun-Times Sunday, June 8, 2008 section of “Real Estate & Homelife,” a planted grill from Chalet is prominently displayed under the title, “Dad’s Day: Show your father some love along with a sense of humor with gift ideas for the garden,” written by Susan Randstrom. The article also mentions Chalet’s container planting service.

Nina Koziol’s article, “Garden Tips from the Experts,” first published for The Chicago Tribune on May 18, 2008 (read the article here), reached the East Coast in the July 3, 2008 publication of the Lower Hudson Journal News (West Harrison, New York). Koziol asked the garden gurus “what next?” after a trip to Chalet, and features Tony Fulmer’s mulching tips from the GreenMark PR news release. This is a Chicago Tribune syndicated article.

Click here to read the PDF of our news release.