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Saturday, March 31, 2012 – Daily News 7A Country Life & garden Home and garden news and notes By Mary Beth Breckenridge Akron Beacon Journal (MCT) CLEANING PRODUCTS IN CONCENTRATED FORM S.C. Johnson is now offering some of its most popular cleaning products in concentrated form. The company recently introduced 2.9-ounce bottles of Windex, Fantastik, Pledge, Scrubbing Bubbles and Shout Carpet concentrates. A bottle of concentrate is mixed with water to fill a trigger spray bottle. The bottles use 79 percent less plastic than a standard bottle, and the smaller amounts of liquid require less fuel to transport, the company says. The concentrates are available only online at www.scj- greenchoices.com. You can buy a single bottle of concen- trate for $2.50, a trigger bottle for 50 cents or a starter kit for $5, containing two bottles of one type of concentrate and a trigger bottle. Shipping is $3. Q&A: NEW PLUMBING VALVES ADVISABLE Q: I live in a condominium that's about 40 years old. A plumber was repairing something the other day, saw that the main water valve had some corrosion and said he thought it should be replaced. Also, he discovered the water pressure was about 85. He said anything above 80 can damage the pipes, so we should get a water-pressure valve installed. Both of the repairs are about $700. Is it worth spending the money? A: Yes, Wadsworth, Ohio, plumber Cathy Geary said, but with a couple of caveats. Geary said older-style main valves can sometimes con- tinue to work with some corrosion, but you're taking a chance. Should a pipe leak or burst, you might not be able to shut off your main water supply. A water-pressure valve is also important, because water pressure that high will wear out your fixtures, she said. Water pressure of 50 to 55 pounds per square inch is aver- age, she said, and fixtures aren't made to handle pressure higher than 70 psi. However, Geary wondered why your condo complex doesn't have a main water-pressure valve for the whole complex. You might want to check whether it does, and if so, suggest it might not be working properly. She also thought your estimate looked high and suggest- ed you get quotes from other plumbers. BOOK FOCUSES ON RAIN GARDENS As the cost of sewage treatment rises, reducing stormwa- ter runoff becomes a more pressing issue. One of the most attractive ways to address the problem is a rain garden, a landscaping feature that collects runoff and helps to clean the water naturally. Horticulturist Lynn M. Steiner and hydrology scientist Robert W. Domm introduce readers to this form of land- scaping in "Rain Gardens: Sustainable Landscaping for a Beautiful Yard and Healthy World." They explain the bene- fits, offer instructions and tips on installing a garden and help readers choose the right plants and keep their gardens looking their best. Along the way, they offer a little education about eco- logical issues, teaching readers ways to avoid polluting water, solve drainage problems and capture and reuse the water that falls in the form of precipitation. "Rain Gardens" is published by Voyageur Press and sells for $24.99 in softcover. You can do all sorts of things to make your home more efficient—flick on an energy-saving chande- lier, use an ENERGY STAR-rated appliance or install a dual flush toilet. Green technology is becoming so popular that entire homes and neigh- borhoods include energy- efficient features designed to save the homeowners energy and money in every possible way. But what about an entire eco-city? In January 2011, the Huffington Post reported on its web site that the Chinese city of Tianjin plans to be the country's first sustainable eco-city. The future is now—or least in the year 2020, when this 30-square kilo- meter oasis is slated for completion. The Tianjin Eco-City is being designed by Sur- bana Urban Planning Group (SUPG), which has built quite a reputation, including creat- ing over 25 sus- tainable town- ships in Singa- pore. SUPG is bringing its experience to Mainland China and is hoping the Tianjin Eco- City acts as a model for future developing Chi- nese cities. As the sixth come from solar and wind power Ironically, the rest of the city's power will come from archaic sources, like coal. Philips (the behemoth elec- tronics company based in Hol- land) and Hitachi (the Japanese manu- facturer) have pledged to pro- vide the energy- efficient tech- nologies. Sean Murphy Project Home largest city in the People's Republic of China, Tian- jin boasts a population of more than 12 million. The expected 350,000 inhabi- tants of the Tianjin Eco- City will benefit from sus- tainable technologies: • Sewage will be treat- ed, rainwater will be recy- cled and seawater will be desalinated • Over 60 percent of household waste plans to The ground- breaking eco- city is being developed just 10 short minutes away from the bustling Tianjin Economic- Development Area business parks. The main city's advanced light rail system (which residents will be encouraged to use) will make commutes in and out of the business area practically effortless. China has pledged that 90 percent of motor traffic in the Tianjin Eco-City will be public transporta- tion in order to further curb carbon emissions. sug- gest this area will feature multi- China acknowledges this pro- gressive idea won't be easy to accomplish. According to a statement made by the country's state media in 2010, the China Development Research Foundation reports China's govern- ment may need to invest up to $3.6 trillion (yes, trillion) to pull off the Tianjin Eco-City the way it's planned. Like you and me, resi- dents of the Tianjin Eco- City will be able to choose where they live. Unlike you and me, these seven diverse areas will feature very different landscapes, some with their own unique sustain- able purpose. • Soil-topped mounds will help shape the Lifescape beneath tower- ing apartment buildings and skyscrapers of other areas. • If you have an administrative or civic appointment in the Tian- story buildings connected by sky- bridges to use the avail- able space more efficient- ly. • If every large city has an urban space, it also has the suburbs—and the Tianjin Eco-City's will be the Earthscape. Stepped architecture makes the best use of its public green space. • If you're looking for an area to relax and recre- ate, the Windscape will convert the century-old fishing village of Qing- tuozi into a haven of relaxation. In addition, the Tianjin Eco-City will feature an Eco-Valley and Eco-Cor- ridors. Personally, I'd love to see China pull this off. Skeptical might be too strong a word, but I defi- nitely am curious to see if this can be a reality. But how about you? Do you think this is a possibility? As always, you can email me your thoughts and opinions of this and other articles to smurphy@build.com. Sow easy: Perk up salads with lettuces started outdoors from seed By Renee Enna Chicago Tribune (MCT) Vegetable gardening doesn't get any easier than direct-sowing lettuces and herbs outdoors — you can be space- and time-chal- lenged and still produce a healthy crop of leafy goodness within a few weeks. What's more, you'll harvest flavors and vari- eties that are nearly impossible to find at the supermarket. Here are some of the varieties that caught our eye (and appetite) in the 2012 seed catalogs. Some of the lettuces mentioned can be grown into full heads, but I prefer to har- vest the baby leaves for colorful salads. Arianna Batavian let- tuce ($3.25 for packet of about 700 seeds from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds; kitchen- gardenseeds.com): This French variety of Bata- vian lettuce is bolt and disease resistant. The leaves have a subtle nutty The North State's premier supplier of stoves STOVE JUNCTION The Over 25 years of experience Accessories with purchase of any stove 20% OFF Stove Good through March 31, 2012 Tues-Sat 9am-5pm • Closed Sun & Mon 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff 530-528-2221 • Fax 530-528-2229 www.thestovejunction.com flavor. Aztec spinach ($2.50 for packet of 200 seeds from Bountiful Gardens; bountifulgardens.org): Also known as huauzontle (wah-ZONT-lay), this plant is related to quinoa and spinach. It's not tech- nically a lettuce, but it sprouts quickly for har- vesting its red baby leaves. The seeds are heir- loom and open-pollinat- ed. Galiano lettuce ($3.25 for packet of 500 seeds from Veseys Seeds; veseys.com): This bolt- resistant oakleaf variety has dark red, ruffled leaves, a green stem and a dense head. And a few herbs that can also be direct-sown: Christmas basil ($3.95 per packet of about 100 seeds from Burpee, burpee.com): The catalog touts this new basil as having a "sultry, mulled wine scent with a hint of pine taste" to complement those pine nuts you put in pesto. It can tolerate some cold weather and will per- sist later into autumn. Paramount curly-leaf parsley ($3.25 for packet of about 1,000 seeds from John Scheepers): This variety has dense, triple- curled, superfrilly leaves and can reach 18 to 24 inches tall. Cup of Sun nasturtium ($2.79 for packet of about NOTICE TO TAXPAYERS Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. is the last day for paying the second installment of real estate taxes without a 10% penalty and $20.00 cost. Payment can be made at 444 Oak Street, Room D, Red Bluff CA 96080. Copies of bills, tax information and credit card payment information is available online at www.co.tehama.ca.us. Our office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. MAIL YOUR PAYMENTS EARLY! PAYMENTS MUST BE POSTMARKED ON OR BEFORE APRIL 10, 2012. All payments postmarked after 5:00 p.m. on April 10, 2012 will be charged a penalty. DANA HOLLMER Tax Collector 40 seeds from Renee's Gar- den; reneesgarden.com): Nasturtiums aren't just a bunch of pretty faces. Both the leaves and blossoms are edible, packed with a pow- erful yet pleasant peppery bite. This variety blooms in creamy orange and yellow hues. Wasabi arugula: ($2.99 for packet of 980 seeds from Renee's Garden): Although arugula, that mighty, peppery herb, finally enjoys more famil- iarity nationwide, wild arugula is less known here than in Europe. It could be considered "super arugula," because it has considerably more bite (consider yourself warned) and the plant has even more staying power. The catalog promises a taste inspired by the "complex, spicy flavor of freshly made wasabi paste." Bring it on. FREE Class Kids Easter Basket Planting Saturday April 7th @ 10 am Please call to reserve a seat Great Soil Amendment Bumper Crop Sale Buy 3 Bags Get 1 FREE Red Bluff Garden Center 527-0886 766 Antelope Blvd. (Next to the Fairground) be recycled • 20 percent of the city's power will home China's first eco-city jin Eco-City, you'll take public transportation to Solarscape. • At the core of the Tian- jin Eco- City will be the Urban- scape. Artists ren- der- ings