THE PRESS
April 24, 2009
G U I D E
Honey-do season under way
T
he coming of spring – with summer apparently hard on its heels – means it’s time to tend to some honey-dos.
This year, there’s increased interest in gardens that not only look good, but taste good, delivering fresh vegetables to the dinner table. Meanwhile, the sudden onset of hot weather has lots of people thinking about providing some TLC for their air conditioner, lest they be left high and not-so-dry once summer proper arrives. This week’s special Home and Garden section looks at both those concerns, adds some advice on choosing the right color for that redecorating job, and gives you the names of lots of people and companies who can help make short work of the around-the-house jobs that piled up last winter. In the photo above, customers browse the fabulous fields of the Brentwood Iris Garden (925-5953838), where they can pick from hundreds of varieties of bulbs that might not make next spring’s honey-dos any easier, but will make things pretty. Photo by Rick Lemyre
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APRIL 24, 2009 having the gardens and yards they want.” And they’re doing it in a variety of ways. From container gardening (“very popular right now, and requires much less water than in the ground plantings,” said Perez) to shade trees, and a return to the easy-to-grow California drought-tolerant, succulent plants, people aren’t giving up their gardens; they’re just getting more creative in their choices. “Everyone is just looking for ways to stretch their dollars right now, and we’re here to help them do it,” said Perez. “People are shopping for drought-tolerant alternatives, and great ideas are the California Lilacs (good for ground cover), manzanita and rock roses, as well as the colorful geraniums and nemesia. There are so many different ways to have a wonderful garden that doesn’t take a lot of water or cost a fortune. Shade trees are also very popular. They’re fast growing and offer good coverage.” The most popular new trend, however, is actually an old standby: the Victory Garden. In recent years, people haven’t been as interested in growing vegetables – partly because they require more time and maintenance – but with the turn in the economy, Perez says she’s noticed her vegetable plants are flying off their palettes nearly faster than she can replace them. “Lots of vegetables – we’re seeing lots of vegetables,” she said. “Tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, all the herbs, people are definitely looking to plant their vegetable gardens. Yes, they require more tending and more water, but they produce, and that’s a value people are looking for right now.” And she should know. The family-
HOME & GARDEN owned-and-operated business has been a mainstay in East County for more than 18 years. Recently relocated from its Sunset Road location to the 10-acre growing grounds on Walnut Boulevard in Brentwood, Perez Nursery is all about customer-service. And while the nursery works with commercial as well as residential customers, Perez takes special delight in helping homeowners create their own garden paradise. “My main thing has always been the basic homeowner,” she said. “I love to help them create the yard or garden they want – that’s very satisfying.” Everyone can have a green thumb, said Perez. They just need to give it a try. Easy-tofollow tips include not over-watering the lawn (“10 minutes in the morning and evening, that’s all”), fertilizing (“once a month with a liquid fertilizer”) and mixing in a healthy dose of patience and positive thinking. “With the way the world is now, everyone is so busy and so rushed, I think gardening is a great way to just slow things down,” she said. “When you’re out there watering, just relax, enjoy the moment, and talk to your plants. You can’t just put a plant in the ground and expect it to grow. You have to take some time with it. But it’s OK to fail; that’s how you learn. It’s all a big learning curve.” Customers interested in learning more can visit Perez Nursery this weekend for its annual sale. Everything on site will be discounted 50 to 70 percent. The sale takes place Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 925-5161052. Perez Nursery is located at 2601 Walnut Blvd.
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Trevor’s Weekly Mortgage Matters By Trevor Frey
Mirabilis Jalapa Otherwise known as the four o’clock flower; tends to open later in the afternoon (hence the name) while at the same time emitting a sweet-smelling fragrance. And although this flower might not be your favorite, or even anything you have in your garden, since 1994 the flower has played a huge role in the lives of those affected by cancer…being considered a “symbol of hope” for survivors in both the United States and over 100 countries world-wide. With spring 2009 playing host to both Oakley’s and Brentwood’s respective Relay For Life events why not take a few minutes and smell the “purple jasmine”.? On May 2-3 in Oakley (for the first time), and June 13-14 in Brentwood, teams of 8-15 people will “paint the town purple” and participate in a 24 hour event with at least one team member on the Liberty High School track at all times – because cancer never sleeps – in what has become the American Cancer Society’s single largest activity. Dating back to 1985 and Dr. Gordon Klatt’s Tacoma, Washington, grassroots effort, Relay For Life has evolved into this nation’s largest fundraising event of any kind, raising over 400 million dollars in 2008! Brentwood alone helped to raise $307,657 in funds during the 24 hour event and is looking to make it at least an even $325,000.00 in 2009. And while the money donated to the American Cancer Society helps with patient support, disease prevention/risk
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reduction, and disease detection/treatment, it is truly the experience itself that communities as a whole remember. Often referred to as “24 hours that you’ll never forget” Relay For Life is much more than the money - both survivors and participants alike are able to draw strength from one another, while all coming together to help fight back against cancer. “Celebrate. Remember. Fight back” is the motto for the individuals and families involved during this emotional 24 hour fund raiser. I am honored to say this year I will be Brentwood Rotary’s team co-captain, and as such I welcome any questions regarding Relay For Life or the American Cancer Society in my inbox at tfreymortgages@yahoo.com. While I always try to keep the community updated on the latest real estate happenings, sometimes we all have to put ourselves to the side, smell the Mirabilis Jalapa, and realize there are larger things out there. Cancer does not know we are in a recession and does not care that these are tough economic times. Prior to the actual 24 hour event please come out and support a great cause on both May 18th and June 8th at the Chili’s restaurant located on Lonetree Way - 10% of all proceeds from 4pm until close will be donated back to the American Cancer Society. As always, I welcome all questions and or concerns pertaining to real estate lending on my cell phone, 510-798-0060, or via email, tfreymortgages@yahoo.com. – Advertisement
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THEPRESS.NET
APRIL 24, 2009
HOME & GARDEN
Johnson rides season’s first heat wave SAMIE HARTLEY
K
evin Johnson’s phone won’t stop ringing. After far East County expe-
rienced temperatures in the high 80s last weekend, Kevin’s services as owner of Johnson Heating & Air Conditioning are in high demand. By 10 a.m. on Monday, he’s already received more than a dozen calls. The
Brentwood office doesn’t have a radio, but the theme of “Pink Panther,” Kevin’s ring tone, appears to be on repeat. “We normally don’t start getting calls like this until May,” Kevin said. “We don’t see hot weather like this in April usually.” Kevin and his wife Janelle normally schedule seasonal maintenance appointments in April, but after the heat wave, prospective customers are flooding the phone with calls. “It was the first hot weekend of the year, and people are now calling about
problems they noticed in October,” Janelle said. “They figure they won’t be running their air conditioner during the winter, so they don’t need to call in until it gets hot again. But once it heats up, we’re slammed.” To avoid malfunctioning machinery, the Johnsons recommend that homeowners schedule routine maintenance checkups. For $149, Kevin will inspect both appliances twice a year. Customers who sign up for the seasonal maintenance program, known as the Energy Squeezer, also get priority should problems occur between maintenance visits. As loyal customers, they receive a 10-percent discount on parts. “Your heating and air condition systems need to be checked out on a regular basis just like your car,” Janelle said. “It’s important to keep the units tuned, so that they run efficiently. People
don’t want to replace their units because it can be expensive, so it’s important to have them checked out.” Kevin said the most important thing is to replace the filters. Filters become clogged with dirt, hair and other contaminants that prevent the filter from efficiently releasing air into the home. If buildup continues, filters can be sucked into the unit, resulting in hundreds of dollars worth of repairs. As part of a seasonal maintenance visit, Kevin replaces the filters and shows customers how to change the filters on their own, recommending that the filters be replaced at least once between seasonal visits. A maintenance visit takes a little more than an hour. Summer maintenance is best scheduled for April and May; winter maintenance for October and November. After that, Kevin said seasonal
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APRIL 24, 2009
HOME & GARDEN
Photo by Samie Hartley
Kevin and Janelle Johnson, owners of Johnson Heating & Air Conditioning, recommend that homeowners get their appliances checked twice a year to make sure their heating and air conditioning units are functioning efficiently. maintenance requests are pushed to the end of the list because people with more urgent needs come first. While the average workday at Johnson Heating & Air Conditioning is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Kevin has been known to be out until after 10 p.m. on house calls. “We do emergency calls around the clock if it’s a genuine emergency,” Kevin said. “Being hot isn’t an emergency for most people, but if it’s a health issue, then we take care of it right way. Heat kills people, so for the elderly or people with medical conditions or
disabilities, we make that a priority.” Johnson Heating & Air Conditioning also installs new heating and air units as well as maintains and repairs them. The Brentwood office features a showroom for residential and commercial customers interested in new appliances. A full list of their services can be found at the Web site, www.johnsonhvac.com/services. aspx. Johnson Heating & Air Conditioning is located at 4501 O’Hara Ave. in Brentwood. For more information, call 925-516-7120.
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Get that color right
T
here’s nothing like committing to a paint color only to find that once it’s on the walls,
it looks nothing like you envisioned. Or realizing too late that while you love the color orange, it doesn’t work on your living-room wall.
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Color dilemmas occur all the time – and cause all sorts of frustration. The first thing to keep in mind is that light exerts a huge influence on color. Fluorescent light brings out the blues and greens while making reds look duller. Incandescent lighting – what you likely use in your home – gives off a warmer light that makes yellows and reds brighter while dulling blues. So that soft yellow that looked nice in the store might look a lot brighter on your walls at home, simply because the light is different. Natural sunlight gives the truest color – but even sunlight fluctuates. Light in southern exposures tends to be brighter and warmer, while north-facing rooms seems cooler and bluer. And at night, incandescent light casts shadows, so painted walls look darker. So what can you do fine tune the light in your room? Find the inspiration. If you’re not sure what color you want, it helps to find a muse
Household HazardousWaste
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to get you started. Maybe it’s a favorite vase or the quilt on your bed. Use two or three colors in that piece to act as the color palette for your room – one main and two accent colors. Forget the chip. Paint chips aren’t big enough to give you a good idea of what a color will look like in your room. Once you’ve narrowed down your color choices, buy a small sample of each. Paint one sheet of poster board with each color. Now you have a paint “chip” that will really help. Move the boards around to different parts of the room at different times of day. And put them next to furniture pieces and fabrics in the room. You’ll be amazed at how different a single color can look. Find the balance. There’s a color principal commonly called the 60-30-10 rule that helps keep a room’s color in balance. Sixty percent of a room – usually the walls – should be one color of the color scheme. Cabinetry and/or furniture make up 30 percent, and accents and accessories – linens, art, plants, décor items – make up 10 percent. So if orange is your favorite color, go with it. Find a neutral color for your 60 percent and let orange show up in your accents and accessories. You’ll get the bright color “pop” you want without overwhelming everything in the room. Take some time to experiment – when you get the color right, you’ll have a room you can feel good about. – Courtesy of Family Features
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