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ing privacy in the garden was to plant a row of arborvitae and lurk in the shadows. But we have evolved. There are now as many solutions as there are situa- tions. And few of them involve an impenetrable wall of arborvitae. An expert in bringing privacy to the garden is Marty Wingate, whose book, "Landscaping for Privacy: Innova- tive Ways to Turn Your Outdoor Space Into a Peaceful Retreat" (Timber Press), explores myriad options. "I've wanted to write this book for years," says Wingate, who gar- dens in Seattle. create privacy in a landscape (MCT) — Used to be, the solution for somebody seek- Author presents solutions to Wingate and got her thoughts. Trees: Trees can do wonders, but you have to make the right choice. "I always suggest that people look to their local (Coop- Country Lifehome Dark sky lighting garden We humans like our nights, and we sure love to light them up, don't we? From streetlights and stadium lights to vehicle headlights and outdoor lighting at home, practically every- where we go can be lit up enough to do pretty much anything we want in relative safety. But is there a tipping point for too much night lighting? Indeed there might be, and we might be approaching it. It's called light pollution, and it's beginning to show its ill effects all over the world—or at least where lights domi- nate, or even dot, the nightscape. And this isn't just a purist thing, either—it's a nature thing. "It's an accumulation of questions I get, when I give talks, when I'm on the radio." We threw a few of those privacy-challenged situations at erative) Extension Service," she says. (Go to nifa.usda.gov/extension to find an Extension Service near you.) "I have a very small garden. We're in the city, on a small lot. I can't have a pin oak. "In addition to focusing on small trees, I also recommend that people look at their city's street trees list. They list them not only for climate, but usually list them by characteristic. Tall trees, narrow trees, what to get if you want a tree for color." The hedgerow: People are getting more adventurous and don't believe they have to look like the house next door, Wingate says. That extends to hedges. She recommends a mixed hedgerow as opposed to a more formal hedge defined by a tidy row of boxwoods. A mixed hedge, she explains, might include "two or three evergreens, deciduous bushes. It also provides wildlife habitat. They have a place to hide, they have food, they have cover. Birds that come into our garden use our hedgerow as a secondary landing place as they go to and from the feed- er." lists, broken down into categories (evergreen shrubs, plants for hedgerows, plants for seaside gardens, vines for trellis- es, etc.). With such an expansive playbook, there's no reason for dull uniformity. Just do your homework. "We have a tendency to plant junipers out here," Wingate Some plant ideas: The book offers several pages of plant explains. "People plant them on an incline. Sadly, they'll put them someplace and not consider drainage. Junipers need good drainage. If they don't, they get root rot. I have a lot of junipers listed — they're useful — but we need to remem- ber what they need before we plant them." She's big on small conifers and yews and choosing plants that are hardy for an area but underused. Ask your Exten- sion Service, botanic garden or local garden club for ideas. Cutting corners: When you live on a corner, people cut across the corner of your lot. Fence or plants? Wingate says a solution depends on your neighborhood and neighbors, and how hard you need to hammer home the point. "Sometimes you just imply there's a barrier," she says. "Sometimes just a few plants, sometimes you have to put something up to keep them from walking." She suggests planting the corner and erecting a fence panel. "Once you put up some plantings or panels, anyone cutting the corner would be very close to the house so they would be discouraged." The corner would be another good spot for an island bed, she says, with a multi-stemmed tree and two or three small shrubs at the base to further emphasize your property. "If you've got a small planting," she says, "it's visually striking and really gives people the sense of your property line." According to a recent article at Discov- eryNews.com, scientists suggest that light pollu- tion is a grow- ing problem for wildlife. Migratory birds are get- ting confused and disorient- ed and flying into the sides of skyscrapers. Nocturnal creatures are hastening the time they're out looking for dinner (while becoming more vulnera- ble to being dinner when they're out for- aging for food). And meet Monday The Sun Country Quil- ters Guild will be meeting at a special time of 3 p.m. for a sew-in and pot luck dinner, with the regular meeting at 7 p.m., on Monday, April 23, at the Red Bluff Community and Senior Center at 1500 S. Jackson St. Bring any project you Quilters to & newborn sea turtles are crawling inland rather than heading out to sea. Travis Longcore, director of the Califor- nia-based Urban Wild- lands Group said, "We've turned major swathes of the globe into permanent full moon, or more." Sean Murphy Project Home And this "permanent full moon" effect is disorienting animals that depend on the darkness of night for their survival. nightly light pollution Short of totally pulling the plug on lights, there are a few ways we can cut down on the amount of we help create. Some communities and cities have been extremely proactive and passed Dark Sky ordinances to preserve and protect the nighttime environment through quality outdoor lighting. Chicago, for exam- ple, became the first city in the United States to dim their tall buildings (and there are a lot of them) at night during spring and fall bird migrations. The Windy City does this for nearly five months a year, in an effort to help save birds' lives. manufacturers offer Dark-Sky friendly lights that cut down and elimi- nate outward and upward glow. Lack of glare and excessive con- trast means improved And several lighting visibility, especially for aging eyes, and many Dark-Sky compliant fix- tures are also ENERGY STAR rated. Just a few simple changes can not only preserve the beautiful night sky above us, but also help many animal species thrive the way they were meant to thrive. For more information and tips on how you can help eliminate light pol- lution, visit the Interna- tional Dark-Sky Associ- ation. Happy Home Improv- ing. Until next time, Sean Murphy is a copywriter for Build.com in Chico. Visit the company's website for more home improvement tips at www.build.com. Saturday, April 21, 2012 – Daily News 3B are working on and your sewing supplies. Be sure to check out the 2 new small groups that will be starting up. Interested quilters may attend up to three meeting a year for $5 each, or join the guild the guild for an annual membership fee of $30. More information is available by contacting the Sun Country Quilters at P.O. Box 8266, Red Bluff Ca. or at the Web- site: wwwsuncountryquil- ters.com. No Interest option with Regular Monthly Payment or *18 month *9.90% APR with 2.0% Monthly Payments Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date. If the purchase balance is not paid in full within the promotional period. Or if you make a late payment.* 527-5828 Cal. Lic. #233456 *The Visa® credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Financial National Bank. Special terms apply to purchases charged with approved credit at participating merchants until [05-31-2012]. The minimum monthly payment will be the amount that will pay for the purchase in full in equal payments during the promotional period. Interest will be charged to your account from the pur- chase date at the regular APR if the purchase balance is not paid in full within the promotional period or if you make a late pay- ment. For newly opened accounts, the regular APR is [26.59%]. The APR may vary. The APR is given as of [04-01-2012]. If you are charged interest in any billing cycle, the minimum interest charge will be $1.00. If you use the card for cash advances, the cash advance fee is 5% of the amount of the cash advance, but not less than $10.00. Offer expires [05-31-2012].