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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016 BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL PAGE 11A Reap garden rewards even this late in the year Gardening is a rewarding hobby that can help peo ple relax and produce an enviable landscape. Many gardeners even find their meals are more fresh and flavorful when using items they grew themselves. While many gardeners do the bulk of their garden ing in the spring and sum mer, certain plants thrive in cooler temperatures. That group includes autumn vegetables that are ripe for the picking when leaves begin falling. Fall gardens provide a reason to enjoy the oft-en- joyable autumn air. So many different vegetables come to life in the autumn, and they can make won derful additions to the din ner table. Broccoli, kale, collards, spinach, squash es, artichokes and beets are just some of the many autumn planting options you can try. Celery also is best in the fall, and its harvest continues through winter in temperate cli mates. By replacing crops that have been harvested through the spring and summer with fall-friendly alternatives, you can keep your garden productive for most of the year. Begin the process by counting back 12 to 14 weeks from the expected first frost date for where you live. Begin seeds for your autumn plantings indoors, because summer heat and dryness are not the best conditions to nur ture young seedlings. Enrich the soil with com post so that you can replen ish the nutrients lost from the last crop harvested. Each region is different, so learn about when to put plants in the ground for your region. Many plants still need the sun and warmth of late sum mer to thrive and produce well into the fall. If you are unsure, consult with a local garden center, where you can learn about var ious aspects of autumn gardening. Onions, shallots and garlic are best planted mid-fall after the soil has cooled. Gradually introduce seedlings to more sunlight and outdoor tempera tures before they go in the ground, as they need time to adjust to the unfiltered sun. Be sure to thoroughly water the garden. New ly-planted beds should be kept moist to germinate and so established plants can take root. In addition, consider a shade covering so that the soil doesn’t dry out or get baked in the sun. Mulch also can help retain moisture and keep the conditions ideal for your autumn vegetables to grow. Remember that moisture and cooler temperatures can attract garden pests, so you may need to employ some strategies to keep them under control. For example, insect barriers and all-natural baited traps can keep slugs and snails from munching on your autumn plants. Fall vegetable gardens can be worthy endeavors, yielding plenty of crops and providing the fun and fulfillment of gardening into the fall. Homeowners finding the right fencing fit Homeowners choose to erect fences on their proper ties for various reasons. Par ents may find fences provide peace of mind during those times when their youngsters are playing in the yard, while other homeowners prefer fences for the privacy they can provide. Whatever compels home- owners to consider fencing for their properties, those that have decided to install fencing will soon realize they have numerous options. Finding the right fencing material for your property requires considering a host of factors, including budget and personal style. ALUMINUM Aluminum fencing is ideal for those looking for some thing that’s both ornamental and functional. Aluminum fencing may not appeal to those homeowners whose biggest priority is privacy, as aluminum fences are not solid walls. But aluminum fences are typically low maintenance, and they can be effective at keeping both kids and pets in the yard. Aluminum fences painted with a rust-inhibiting primer may require even less main tenance than aluminum fenc es painted without primer. BAMBOO Bamboo is a less tradition al fencing option that may appeal to homeowners who want to do something that’s both different and eco-friend ly. Bamboo grows natural ly, which should appeal to homeowners who want their homes to have as little neg ative impact on the environ ment as possible. Bamboo provides ample privacy and comes in various styles. Homeowners should con sult with a fencing special ist before choosing a style so they can be certain they choose the most climate-ap propriate option. CHAIN-LINK Chain-link fences may not add the aesthetic appeal homeowners are looking for, but they are relatively inex pensive, durable and func tional. Chain-link fences are low maintenance, though homeowners looking for fences to provide some pri vacy may need to get creative if they install chain-link fenc ing. Planting flowers, shrub bery or trees near chain-link fences can add some aesthet ic appeal and a little privacy. VINYL Among the more expen sive fencing options, vinyl can make up for that initial sticker shock thanks to its durability. In addition, vinyl fences require little mainte nance, saving homeowners the expense of paying for upkeep such as repainting. Vinyl fencing comes in var ious styles, and homeown ers can choose the style that best suits their priorities with regard to aesthetic appeal and privacy. WOOD Of course, no discussion of fencing would be com plete without mentioning wood fencing. Many home- owners love wood fencing because of its versatility with regard to design and color. The options are endless when it comes to crafting wood fencing, which also can be stained in any color homeowners prefer. Wood fencing can be designed not only for homeowners who prioritize privacy, but it also can be crafted for homeown ers for whom privacy is not a significant concern. Wood is a relatively inexpensive fenc ing material, but the main tenance required to keep wood fencing looking great can sometimes be costly and time-consuming. Options abound for homeowners looking to add fencing to their prop erties. Homeowners hesitant to choose a material and/or install their own fencing can consult local professionals to find the best fencing fit for their properties. Prepare fireplaces, chimneys for regular use Fireplaces and wood-burn ing stoves not only can be beautiful focal points within a home, but they also pro vide an additional source of heat and can be used to keep rooms or entire homes comfortable without the need for additional and potentially costly heating sources. Just like more mod em home heating systems, stoves and fireplaces need to be maintained, and that maintenance includes ready ing them before winter when they are used more heavily. Ensuring a fireplace or stove is in good working order helps to guarantee efficiency of use and safety during the winter months. Open-flame heating sourc es carry with them certain risks. The National Fire Pro tection Association states that, between 2009-2013, American fire departments responded to 56,000 home structure fires that involved heating equipment. The NFPA notes that the lead ing factor contributing to home-heating fires is a failure to keep things clean, princi pally from solid-fueled heat ing equipment. The follow ing are a handful of ways to stay safe as you get ready for another cozy season around the fire. •Start with the chimney. Begin by having your chim ney thoroughly cleaned and inspected. Creosote can build up inside the chimney. Creo sote is highly flammable and becomes more difficult and expensive to clean the lon ger it builds up inside your flue lining. In addition, ani mals may have created nest inside the chimney since the last time the fireplace was used. A professional chimney sweep should be hired in this situation. He or she will be able to effectively clean the chimney in a manner that is the least messy and disrup tive to residents. •Install or check smoke and carbon monoxide detec tors. Operational alarms are essential to preventing inju ry or death resulting from smoke or carbon monoxide inhalation. Such detectors are inexpensive safeguards that should be installed on every floor of the house. Batteries should be replaced every six months, and the alarms them selves should be changed every five to 10 years. •Inspect the chimney from outdoors as well. Inspect the mortar around any bricks in the chimney and surround ing areas for cracks. If left unaddressed, these can cause dangerous fires. If there are serious cracks, a professional may need to make repairs or the chimney may need to be replaced. You also can have the chimney capped with a screen to keep animals and debris from entering. •Inspect the damper. A damper is a valve or plate that stops or regulates the flow of air inside a chimney. It should be checked prior to the first use of a stove or fireplace so homeowners can be certain it opens and closes smoothly. •Clear out flammable cleanup •Use a tarp. Rake or blow leaves onto a tarp and then drag the tarp to the curbside or to the back of a truck for proper disposal. Special leaf scoopers enable you to grab more leaves if they need to be picked up and transport ed. Otherwise, you can use the covers from two garbage pails to achieve a similar effect. •Work with the wind. Rake in the direction the wind is blowing and downhill if your property slopes. This way it will be easier on you, and you won’t be working against Mother Nature. •Spread out the job. Do not attempt to remove all fallen leaves in a single day. Schedule a few cleaning days during the season to make lighter work of the job than if you tried to do it all at once. Keep in mind that leaves will continue to fall throughout the season and you may need to spend a few days removing leaves from your yard. Removing leaves is a large part of fall home maintenance. Employ these tips to make this task less strenuous. items. Move flammable items away from the front of a fireplace or stove. Be sure curtains or other home furnishings are far enough away that they will not catch fire from any errant sparks or flames. •Order wood now. Be sure there is plenty of wood for the season. Ask a wood supplier to estimate just how much will be needed, and double-check that the wood will arrive in time for the start of the season. By preparing for fireplace and wood stove use now, homeowners can ensure their winters are comfortable and safe. Simplify Apple pie, pumpkins and blooming chrysanthemums are symbols of autumn. But nothing signals the arrival of fall more than the millions of leaves that begin to cascade from the trees as the tem peratures dip. Many people feel noth ing is more beautiful than the yellow, red, purple, and orange leaves that coat neighborhoods and country sides each fall. But in spite of their beauty, leaves might be a nuisance to homeown ers tasked with removing the growing piles of them from their lawns. Those with large oak and maple trees in front of their homes understand the seemingly endless work of leaf removal. As the days begin to grow shorter and colder, these changes trigger a hormone release in trees, prompting them to drop their leaves. This chemical message caus es the formation of abscis sion cells where the leaf stem meets the branch, say bota nists at the Missouri Botan ical Garden. So rather than merely dropping off of trees when the wind blows, the leaves actually fall off delib- fall leaf erately. Left untouched, fall en leaves can contribute to lawn problems such as poor aeration, mold growth and moisture issues. Leaves also can cause staining on drive ways and walkways. Prompt removal can help prevent any problems. To make faster and easier work of leaf removal, keep these tips in mind. •Mow over thin leaf cov erage. If only a few leaves have fallen, use a mulching mower to shred the leaves until they are small enough that they won’t suffocate the lawn. The small pieces will decompose in the lawn, reintroducing nutrients as a result. •Use an ergonomic leaf rake. Ergonomic rakes can prevent back and arm pain, much in the way that ergo nomic shovels do when shoveling snow. •Invest in a quality leaf blower. Using a rake is good exercise, but homeowners with large properties might want to use a leaf blower. These machines can dislodge leaves from bushes and hard- to-reach crevices, and they work faster than rakes. ATHENS Bon w ORTHOPEDIC CLINIC n t ■ Dr. Fields Dr. Fields is an Orthopedic Surgeon, who received his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia. He completed his residency at West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia. Dr. Fields did a fellowship in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopic Surgery at the Orthopedic Research of Virginia. 706-583-9000 Athens • Commerce Elberton Jefferson • Royston Winder www.athensboneandjoint.com