UNL Extension: Acreage Insights Acreage eNews-February 2016 http://acreage.unl.edu Winter may not be gardening weather, but armed with a camera and a little bit of time the rewards for photographers can result in a harvest just as tangible. Photographing the Landscape By Eric Berg, Nebraska Forest Service One of the wonderful things about taking photographs is that it forces us to stop, look at the details and hopefully pay more attention to the world around us. Typically we tend to rush from one place to another without even noticing the details of our ever-changing landscapes. Taking photos demands time and intentionality, it causes us to slow down, gets us outdoors and helps us experience and truly see and capture the beauty and detail of our landscapes. With digital cameras, the process is far easier and less costly than it used to be. We can take hundreds of photos at one time, with little to no expense, and revisit them later to select the best ones. So the process doesn’t require the expense and purposeful, time-consuming effort it did when darkrooms and costly film were part of the process. While technological advances have limited the need for careful intentionality, they have opened up a broad range of opportunities for even the most amateur of photographers. What makes a good photo? That question can be as subjective as our personal preferences. But the best photos elicit strong emotional reactions—sadness, surprise, anger or pleasure. Often they contain an element of mystery, with the photo framed in a way that hints at something but doesn’t give the whole story. They leave the viewer wanting more or give the viewer just enough information to fill in the gaps with their own life experiences. In terms of placement and focus, the old rule of thirds from photography courses still applies. The most interesting elements in a photo tend to be the most compelling when they are slightly off-center and not in the absolute center of the photo. Good lighting is essential—whether it’s from the back, from the front or captured during that period of “sweet light” which naturally occurs right before or after sunrise or sundown. Landscapes are constantly changing and one of the advantages of taking photos is to make us more aware of the amazing amount of change that occurs from one month or week or even moment to another. Lighting, temperature, moisture and the resulting frost, dew and color intensity can be significantly different from one hour of the day to another. But these small changes can be visually compelling and will reward anyone patient enough to notice and capture their impact. It may not be gardening weather but, armed with a camera and a little bit of time, the rewards for photographers can result in a harvest just as tangible. The Nebraska Forest Service strives to enrich lives by protecting, restoring and utilizing Nebraska's tree and forest resources. Starting A New Planting Bed By Kendall Weyers, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Spring fever can make us bite off more than we can handle after the high wears off, so keep the size manageable. In Nebraska it doesn’t take much warm weather to infect us with spring fever, especially if you are a gardener. For many of us, good weather opens the floodgates of energy and optimism for spring projects and the coming growing season. One project that might be on your to-do list is starting a new, or expanding an existing, perennial planting bed. This is a project with a highly variable degree of difficulty depending on many factors, such as timing, preferred method, size, existing plants and soil conditions. A quick note on soil: good soil is crucial to the success of most plants. Any soil can be improved over time, especially by adding organic matter such as compost. Whether your soil is compacted clay, sand or in between, adding organic matter improves the soil structure and biology (earthworms, microrganisms, etc.), resulting in higher availability of air, water and nutrients. To limit compaction, it’s best to limit foot traffic and not work it when wet. Before getting started, future headaches can be avoided by doing some careful, realistic planning. Spring fever can make us bite off more than we can handle after the high wears off, so keep the size manageable. Also make sure the location is suitable, with no utility conflicts and appropriate conditions, especially light, for the intended plants. The first step is to remove or kill any existing plants, particularly if it’s turfgrass. Using a layering system (or sheet mulching) is the easiest, but takes a few months for best results. This method starts by laying down heavy cardboard or several layers of newspaper to block out light and kill the plant material beneath, while still allowing air and water movement to benefit the soil organisms and speed the breakdown of organic matter. To hold the first layer in place, keep it moist and add a few inches of organic matter such as compost, leaves or wood chips. Given enough time, the original plants will die and the plants, cardboard or newspaper and added organic matter will break down and loosen and enrich the soil. This method also prevents weed seeds from germinating. The bed is now ready to plant right through the layers. If there isn’t time to wait on the layering system, existing plants can be dug out and the top couple inches of sod removed. For larger areas, a rented sodcutter might be the better choice. The cut sod can be reused elsewhere in the lawn or composted. If the existing soil is good, you should be ready to plant. If the soil is compacted or low in nutrients and organic matter, it may need to be broken up, either by hand digging or rototilling. Ideally the soil is turned over to a depth of 8-12 inches and ample amounts of organic material are added. Turning the soil will bring weed seeds to the surface, so a good layer of mulch and regular weeding will be necessary to keep the new bed looking good and help new plants thrive. Nebraska Statewide Arboretum is a nonprofit that works toward sustainable home and community landscapes through initiatives in education, public gardens and the environment. Plant and landscape resources at http://arboretum.unl.edu. Sedges for Home Landscapes Are Not Weeds By Kelly Feehan, Nebraska Extension Educator - Horticulture Gray's sedge, Carex grayi. Some of the newest ornamental grasses on the market are not grasses at all, they are sedges. When we hear the word sedge we might think of weeds or water and not ornamental plants. Weeds might come to mind because of yellow nutsedge (Cyperus spp.). This difficult to control weed is often found in lawns and gardens. However, sedges sold for planting in gardens and landscapes are of the Carex spp. Water might come to mind because sedges commonly grow in riparian (water edge) areas. Some gardeners assume these plants are sold for water gardens, but this is not true. A few sedges are even proving to be drought tolerant, helping gardeners conserve water. Garden sedges, or Carex, are sold and used as ornamental grasses. Most are lower growing than true grasses, so if you are looking for a one to three foot tall plant instead of a three to eight foot tall plant, consider Carex. Unlike true ornamental grasses, most Carex are grown for their foliage. While they do flower, few have ornamental seed heads like the plumes of true grasses. Like many grasses, sedges are low maintenance plants needing little care once established. The most common Carex sold include gray sedge, Carex grayii; palm sedge, C. muskingumensis; brown fox sedge, C. vulpinoides; and Ice Dance sedge; C. morrowii ‘Ice Dance’. The GreatPlants for the Great Plains ornamental grass of 2015 was gray sedge. The goal of the GreatPlants program is to bring superior ornamental landscape plants into gardens to meet the challenging growing conditions of the Great Plains. Gray sedge was selected for its ability to tolerate wet soils, but also fairly dry conditions once established. It grows two to three feet tall and one to two feet wide. It has semi-evergreen foliage and persistent spiky seed heads that provide winter interest. Since Carex will tolerate short periods of standing water, and some tolerate dry conditions once established, they have become popular for growing in the bottoms of rain gardens. Rain gardens are bowl-shaped gardens with a low berm on three sides. These gardens are located where they will catch and soak in rainwater, such as from a roof downspout. Rain gardens make the best use of rainfall when we receive it. They help conserve water and reduce stormwater runoff from a property. Less runoff means fewer pollutants are washing into streams, rivers and lakes during storm events. A correctly designed and installed rain garden might have standing water for up to 48 hours after a rainfall. However, these gardens can be dry for long periods in between rainfall and therefore drought tolerant plants are needed. These wet conditions followed by dry conditions have made sedges popular rain garden plants. Whether you have a rain garden or not, consider planting Carex to add plant diversity to your landscape. Nutritional Goal Setting By Laura DeWitt, Nebraska Extension Assistant- SNAP-Ed "Eat more vegetables" isn't a measurable goal, but "Fill 1/4 of my plate with vegetables at each meal" is! As we ring in a New Year, many of us will resolve to eat healthier.