Gift Cards - More Than Meets the Eye?

One of my sisters and her husband live in a fantastic old row house in an historic civil war town in Maryland.  Like most people who live in old houses, renovation construction is a lifestyle for them.

I was on vacation with my sister this past week and she shared a neat trick.  Preparatory to beginning any construction project, my brother-in-law goes to Home Depot or Lowes and prices out all the materials he will need for the project.  Once he knows the approximate cost of materials he goes to his local grocery store and buys enough gift cards to cover his Home Depot or Lowes purchases.  Giant Eagle, his grocery store, like many, has its own chain of gas stations at which you can get a $.10 per gallon discount for every $50 spent on groceries in their store and a $.20 per gallon discount for gift card purchases.  These discounts are cumulative so if you spent $600 in the grocery store on gift cards in one month you'd save $2.40 per gallon.

They just finished renovating a bedroom and, without buying a single grocery item, they have managed to get two free tanks of gas in the past month by purchasing gift cards to cover the cost of materials.  Grocery stores now sell all sorts of gift cards.  Buying a new television set?  Why not get a Best Buy gift card from your grocery store to cover the cost?  They had a big printing project recently and bought a Staples gift card before purchasing printer ink.

Obviously a little more planning and time is required since you have to figure out what your item will cost and then go buy the gift cards before making the final purchase but the rewards make it seem well worth it.  Even if you're not making a big purchase, if you regularly shop at Staples for example, you could buy a $25 or $50 Staples gift card the next time you are grocery shopping and then spend it at Staples as needed and still get a gas discount, albeit on a smaller scale.

Clearly your grocery store has to offer some sort of frequent shopper premium for this to be worthwhile.  Ingles, the store in which I currently shop, offers a $.10 per gallon discount for every $100 spent per month and Safeway, which has no gas station, offers $10 off future grocery store purchases for every $100 gift card purchase.

Most of these premiums have expiration dates and many have limits so read the fine print, make sure you have a good understanding of the program and then jump in!  I'm going to the grocery store in just a bit and plan to scan the available gift cards.  My store also had gift cards for iTunes and Amazon.com.  I shop at both places frequently and randomly so I bought a $25 card for each and loaded them into my respective accounts.  I've never even looked at the gift card display before!

I think this is a great idea and I am so happy it came up in conversation so I could share it with you!  Is this news or am I the only one who never heard of it before?

Five Ways to Generate Income When Retired

This is a guest post by Alban who is a personal finance writer at Home Loan Finder, where he helps people to compare home loans.


If you would like to submit a guest post for SimplyForties please check the guidelines here.

The best laid plans don’t tend to account for a large scale crises, and no doubt your retirement funds are probably still feeling the debilitating effects of the GFC. If you are still some years away from retirement then you have plenty of time to increase your contributions to your retirement funds and let compounding interest earnings do the rest. However, if you are already retired, or just about ready to leave the full time workforce, then you may need to come up with some ways to generate income into your retirement.
The value of your home may also have dropped significantly, and if you have or are considering a reverse mortgage to access the equity in your home then you may also want to consider these five tips for generating income when retired, to give yourself and your partner a little more financial security. 

1 – Continue to work part time
If you like your job and simply want a bit more free time, then it could be worth negotiating with your boss to see if your full time position can be made into a par time one. You are able to continue generating an income from the same source, but you will be in a lower tax bracket and so can still enjoy a healthy amount of take home pay.
Depending on your retirement plan and fund, you may be able to access your retirement funds if you only work part time as a transition to retirement. You can also continue to contribute to your savings or make other investments for your future, as well as keep active; for many retirees suddenly ceasing work can be quite a shock and a time which was supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable ends up being daunting if they haven’t had time to prepare and transition. 

2 – Seek a part time job
If you don’t want to continue with your current employer into your retirement, your skills are likely transferable to another field. For example, regardless of your working life career by retirement age you will likely have good computer and typing skills and can work part time in an admin position. Or your retirement may be your chance to pursue the career you never could, and so you may seek retail work in a florist or bookstore to feed another passion.
Alternatively you can conduct freelance or consulting work and in this case your old boss can help you with networking and opportunities in your field. If your old employer is not interested in supporting your freelance career, seek out a competing business and offer your services; just be sure you don’t give too much away, and that you have officially retired from your old position to avoid any non-compete clauses in your contract. 

3 – Teaching
Whether you are a retired teacher or simply have a skill or knowledge to share, there can be a retirement income to be earned through:

·     Grants. You may be eligible for an education grant to develop lesson plans, education systems or educational games, and these grants can be in the millions of dollars.

·     Selling merchandise. This can be anything from lessons, lesson plans, notes, books, papers and games, especially those in a digital format. For example, if you have developed a PowerPoint presentation or a PDF document as a teaching tool you may be able to sell those tools online.

·     Renting resources. If you have a vast digital library of teaching tools and resources you can earn royalties by renting out these resources to educational institutes. In this instance you may even pool your resources with other teachers or experts in a field to diversify your offerings.

·     Counselling. As a teacher who has been in and through the system for many years, there are scores of students and parents who will seek out your advice. You can counsel your visitors on how to choose a good school, which are the best subjects for a particular career path and which career path is right for them. In asking for donations from visitors and participants you can maintain an income as a retired teacher.

·     Becoming a mentor or a tutor. Students will often look outside of their parents and their regular teachers for advice, or help with a tricky subject – especially as students progress through later high school years, tricky concepts can be explained in more than one way, and your way may be the one which is most easily understood. You can also offer help with debating tournaments or act as a sounding board for stories or project ideas and even if you charge just a couple of dollars per hour, you are doing something you love, helping a student in need and generating an income.

4 – Online income opportunities
The Internet is a boundless resource for income opportunities and if you have a competent understanding of computers and the web, then you could generate an income in your retirement by:

·     Completing surveys. There are a myriad of opportunities for you to earn money from online surveys and you don’t even have to choose a survey in your state or country as market research has never been broader. Just beware of online survey programs, which will extract a yearly membership fee for locating surveys for you because there are plenty of free services. You also don’t have to work for just money, but can be part of survey programs, which earn you points to bid in auctions or spend in online stores.

·     Blogging. If you have an area of expertise, a passion or an interest, when you start a blog about it, you will find there are a number of ways to earn an income online. You can accept advertising or link sharing, or be part of pay per click advertising or Google Adsense, or you may even be able to secure sponsorship.

·     Product testing. Similar to partaking in surveys you can be paid to use and review products and services, but again, beware of companies who will charge you to help you find these opportunities. You will generally receive products in the mail and you simply need to give your opinion on anything from candy to mobile phones, shampoo to headphones.

·     Selling products. You may be able to launch a simple website and start selling your own hand made products. Or you may be the kind of person who has always been able to come across a bargain and you can start selling items on online auction sites such as eBay to generate an income.

5 – Investments
This type of income will take a little more planning by can be one of the easiest forms of income to fund your retirement. The type of investment you choose will depend on your financial situation, and how you feel about risk, but you can choose to invest in property, bonds, stocks or shares and earn a passive income well into your retirement. Plus, you’ll always be able to sell the original asset for its principal value for a cash injection.

Baked Alaska - The Daring Bakers' August Challenge

Last month I joined the Daring Bakers over at The Daring Kitchen.  Each month this group is challenged to create a dish.  We all make the same thing, with certain variables allowed, and we all post it on the same day.  Not a competition, this exercise is a challenge to ourselves to become better in the kitchen. 


The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”. 


This is my first outing with the Daring Bakers and it's a good one.  Even though Baked Alaska has fallen out of favor and is now thought of as old fashioned, there are several good techniques involved in making one.  This Baked Alaska consists of browned butter pound cake, homemade ice cream and meringue.  Although over the years I've made mountains of meringue, gallons of ice cream and even a browned butter pound cake or two, I still challenged myself by choosing to forgo all my fancy kitchen gadgets and go old-school.  No ice cream maker, no piping bag, not even an icing spatula (okay I did use my stand mixer).  It was fun!

First up, make the ice cream.  If you're making ice cream without an ice cream maker, choose a custard-based one for the best results.  Make the ice cream a day in advance so it can freeze overnight.  I used this David Lebovitz recipe for a delicious vanilla.  The main trick is to vigorously stir the freezing cream every thirty minutes or so for the first 2 or 3 hours.  This keeps ice crystals from forming and ensures that you get a nice, creamy mouth feel to your ice cream.  My finished product was as good as any I've made in my ice cream maker.  I've never done this before and was happy to know how well it works.  When your ice cream is at the soft stage, line your mold with plastic wrap, being sure to leave plenty of extra wrap hanging over the sides, scoop in the ice cream, fold the excess wrap over the top and put it in the freezer for several hours or overnight until it freezes hard.

Next make the pound cake.  Browned butter is a neat ingredient, handy for making lots of things.  The main trick here is not to take your eyes off of it.  It can go from browned to burnt in the blink of an eye.  Browned is delicious; burnt is garbage.  The smell and taste of browned butter is described as nutty but to me it tastes almost like caramel.  Allow time for the butter to cool and congeal before making the pound cake.

Browned Butter Pound Cake

19 tablespoons (9.5 oz) (275g) unsalted (sweet) butter 

2 cups (200g) sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)

1 teaspoon (5g) baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt 

1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar 

1/3 (75g) cup granulated sugar 

4 large eggs 

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C and put a rack in the center. Butter and flour a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan. 

2. Place the butter in a 10” (25cm) skillet over medium heat. Brown the butter until the milk solids are a dark chocolate brown and the butter smells nutty. (Don’t take your eyes off the butter in case it burns.) Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the freezer until just congealed, 15-30 minutes. 

3. Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. 

4. Beat the brown butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well, and then the vanilla extract. 

5. Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined. 

6. Scrape the batter into the greased and floured 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and rap the pan on the counter. Bake until golden brown on top and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. 

7. Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge and invert right-side-up onto a cooling rack to cool completely. 

I made my pound cake the night before, along with the ice cream, let it cool completely and then wrapped it and put it in the refrigerator so that it would carve easily.


Finally, make the meringue.  Meringue is easy and not quite as fragile as you may think.  It's quick, so make it during the assembly stage.  Make sure your bowl is completely clean and your egg whites are room temperature.  Even a spot of yolk will keep your egg whites from coming together so separate them carefully.

Meringue

8 large egg whites (I found this to be way too much meringue.  The 5 whites you have left from the ice cream should be sufficient)

1/2 teaspoon (3g) cream of tartar 

1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt 

1 cup (220g) sugar 

Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on high speed in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in the sugar gradually in a slow stream until stiff peaks form. 

Assembly

Now for the fun part!  Take your cake out, unwrap it and carve it to whatever shape corresponds with your ice cream mold.

(Do you think Duff Goldman will hire me?)

Put your carved cake on a parchment-lined baking sheet and invert your ice cream on to it, trimming any excess cake for a good fit.  This is a good time to make the meringue; stick your cake and ice cream back in the freezer while you're doing it.

Frost your cake and ice cream shape with your meringue.  You can use a piping bag and tip to be fancy but, in honor of the original, I wanted mine to look more like an iceberg or some sort of snow shape.

At this point you can brown your creation with a kitchen torch but technically that would not be a BAKED Alaska.  It also belies the magic of Baked Alaska.  The neat thing about a Baked Alaska is that this ice cream cake can be put in the oven without the ice cream melting.  The science behind it is that meringue is a good insulator.  So, if you want to be authentic, pop your creation into a 500 degree oven for about 5 minutes or until browned.  If you leave it in there much longer the parchment paper, which is useful for transferring the cake from the baking sheet, will burn.

Pull it out of the oven, transfer it to a serving dish and serve.  Delicious!

By the way, that burning one you see being danced around the dining room on cruise ships, Gloria Estefan playing in the background, is actually a Bombe Alaska and is created by either splashing the cake with dark rum and lighting it afire or, more safely, baking a small dish into the top of the cake, which is filled with the liquor and lit. (I was actually on a cruise when this post went live.  I was surprised to discover that Carnival, at least, no longer does the Bombe Alaska dance!  Evidently they decided it was too dangerous, or so our server told us!)

So what do you think?  Are you ready to take this on?  It may be old enough to be new again!  Elissa made individual little ones, using teacups as the ice cream form.  I loved that idea.  Perfect for a ladies' lunch!

What the Heck are My Kids Talking About?

This is my younger brother and two of his girls.  He might need some of this information!

Sometimes as a parent it's hard to keep up with the latest slang, popular television shows, teen heartthrobs, and music. After packing lunches, working, keeping the house clean and dealing with all of life's complications, remembering what "Facebook official" means or who Snookie is can be a bit overwhelming. No worries. In this post we've put together the latest trends to help you avoid staring blankly when your kid explains how school was. The article is broken up into categories for your convenience so skim, enjoy, and learn.

Television

1.     Glee: It's High School Musical but much, much better. A show about a high school glee club consisting of a plethora of random misfits, Glee deals with all the standard teenage themes: fitting in, sexuality (in a very realistic way), popularity, and more. If your kids are watching this, kudos to them. In fact, I would even recommend sitting down with them for an episode. This could be a great time to ask them about their own high school experiences and it truly is an enjoyable show.

2.     The Secret Life of an American Teenager: Developed by the people behind 7^th Heaven, The Secret Life of the American Teenager tells the story of a fifteen-year-old girl who gets knocked up at band camp of all places. The first season deals primarily with her pregnancy and later seasons with her return to high school. It's cheesy. The writing is not good. The characters resemble cardboard cut-outs. Don't worry though. This show is as clean as Leave It to Beaver.

3.     Gossip Girl: By now you probably at least know the premise of this show: some rich kids living in New York City get into a lot of shenanigans. If you're kids are watching this, it may be a good idea to sit down and watch with them. I would compare this show to 90210 of the nineties. It likes to depict teenagers dealing with issues twenty-something-year-olds have.

4.     Jersey Shore: It's the latest phenomenon brought to you by MTV. The Real World? So passé. Jersey Shore is about a group of immature twenty-year-olds who like to go to the gym, tan, and party. The main "characters" of this reality television show are Snookie and The Situation (and yes, the guy actually gave himself this nickname). If you're kids are watching this, well, they're one of many. While the show can be pretty offensive at times (for instance, the guys coined the term "Grenade" which refers to a girl who is the friend of a really attractive female but is not very good looking herself), it's almost impossible to tell your kids not to watch it. It's simply too popular right now.  

5.     True Blood: So different from Alan Ball's last project (Six Feet Under), if your kids are lucky enough to get HBO at home, they're likely watching True Blood. While not good per se the show sort of resembles Buffy the Vampire Slayer, if Buffy were not as witty, groundbreaking, well-acted, or on network television.

Cell Phones

1.      Sexting: First of all – calm down. Ever since Oprah (or was it Dr. Phil?) aired a show on "sexting," parents have been in an uproar. Most kids do not sext. In fact, if you stole your child's cell phone, you'd probably see a bunch of texts saying things like, "what up?" and "lol." Not very exciting. However, it is a good idea to be aware of the phenomenon and look for warning signs. Sexting, for those who missed the Oprah special, is a hybrid word made from "sex" and "texting." It basically refers to boys and girls texting each other dirty pictures and/or language. Keep in mind that if your child engages in this practice, they are technically distributing child pornography and could get into a great deal of trouble. Talk to your kids about this and make sure that they understand the truly dire consequences.

2.      Flexting: Flexting is much less worrisome than sexting. It simply refers to flirting over text message.

Facebook:

1.     Facebook Official: This phrase refers to the relationship status of two individuals. More often than not, teens keep tabs on who's dating whom by what their Facebook "relationship status" indicates. Using Facebook, individuals can choose to specify their relationship status as, "It's Complicated," "Married, "Single," "Engaged," and "In a Relationship." After making a selection, they can specify who they are in a relationship (or married, engaged, etc) with. When a couple chooses to proclaim to the world that they are dating via Facebook they are dubbed "Facebook Official." It is also popular for girls to "marry" their girlfriends. Think of this as the new best friends' necklaces.

2.     Poking Wars: Facebook has a feature where you can "poke" a friend. Said friend will then receive a message that says, "So-and-so poked you. Poke back?" This can go on for weeks, months, even years. What's the point of this? Nobody is quite sure.

3.     Farmville: Contrary to what you may assume, your child did not casually pick up farming. He/she is most likely referring to "FarmVille," a virtual game on Facebook where you can create your own farm, complete with crops, animals, a house, and more. Other Facebook friends can "visit" your farm and comment on how great it looks.

Abbreviations/Slang

These often-used words and phrases allow the young people of America to communicate as efficiently as possible, while simultaneously not allowing parents to fully understand the conversation. No longer! You're welcome, Moms and Dads. 

1.     Words

totes: totally

probs: probably

perf: perfect

def: definitely

supes: super

fa' sho: for sure

peeps: people (often used in reference to that individual's specific group of friends)

2.     Phrases

"O.M.G. I totes need a shower.": "Oh my God. I totally need a shower."

"That's totes perf.": "That is totally perfect."

"He's def the hottest guy here.": "He is definitely the most attractive male specimen here."

"I'm supes tired...I'm totes going to bed before midnight tonight. Like, fa' sho.": "I'm super tired. I'm totally going to bed before midnight tonight. Like, for sure."

"Dude, call the peeps, we're going out tonight.": "Friends, call our other friends. We are going out tonight."

Drinking Games

No parent wants their kid to be drinking, but the reality is…many do. If you hear your teens talking about these two drinking games, it might be a good idea to sit down and have a chat with them.

1.     Beirut: Beirut is another name for the highly popular game of beer pong. Beer pong, for those who do not know, involves filling 20 cups up with a small amount of cheap beer, arranging the cups in two triangles on either end of a ping pong table and competing to see which team of two can throw the most ping pong balls into the cups. If a ball lands in one of the cups on your side, you must drink the beer in the cup. As far as "binge drinking" games go, this one is fairly tame.   Each game (which takes about 20 minutes) requires team members to drink approximately 1.5 cans of beer.

2.     Icing: Icing recently became popular in the frats and is now trickling down to the party scene. This game involves hiding Smirnoff Ices and making your friends chug them when they find them. Still confused? Me too. Check out this link for further details: Global Icing.

Fads:

1.     Hipsters: This is a stereotype, a description of a type of fashion, as well as an insult. Hipsters smoke cigarettes, wear skinny jeans and glasses without corrective lenses in them, and shop regularly at American Apparel. They listen to cool "indie" bands and drink PBR. They are also likely apathetic about most things in life and when you ask them if they are hipsters, they will say no.

2.     GTL: This fad is sweeping the nation as America's young people find any way possible to Gym, Tan, Laundry; in that order. Jersey Shore, the hit MTV series about a group of mentally challenged young adults from New Jersey, is at fault for this epidemic. I accidentally did it yesterday, and it is quite relaxing. However, it can lull an individual into a false state of lethargy and overconfidence. Be wary of this pattern!

3.     Twilight: If you haven't heard of Twilight, you may be living on a deserted desert island. Stephanie Meyer's books have taken over the world. If your girls are reading them, just make sure that they understand that no, having a boyfriend does not mean you lose all sense of self and yes, a guy who watches you sleep for two months is a crazy stalker.

Music:

1.     Pandora: Pandora is a website where users can create a streaming radio station based around one artist. So, say you are a huge Beatles fan (and really, who isn't?). You simply type "The Beatles" into Pandora and it automatically generates a station that consists of Beatles' songs and songs that are similar to the Beatles. Beyond this, while listening you can "like" a song or "dislike" a song. Based on your feedback, it will amend the playlist to include music that is more compatible with your likes and dislikes. Awesome.

2.     Ke$ha: This new pop star really does spell her name with a dollar sign. Yikes. Her music is catchy, but forgettable. Nevertheless, the kids seem to love her.

3.     Lady Gaga: Lady Gaga is the Madonna of the new millennium. She was recently nominated for 18 VMAs (Video Music Awards courtesy of MTV) and pretty much rocks. I would recommend picking up a CD.

So there you have it: a crash course in the goings-on within the world of America's teenagers. My hope is that this information won't help you in becoming heavier hoverers, but simply to assuage any fears or nervousness about what your kids are doing. Most of the time, high schoolers are just big talkers--but now you're all clued in. Good luck! 

Elizabeth McDowell is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and writer on online colleges and universities for Guide to Online Schools.

Great post Elizabeth – I learned a lot!

Great Texas RV Vacation Ideas

This is a guest post by Joe Laing who is the Marketing Director for El Monte RV Rentals. For other great RV camping vacation ideas see Monty's Musings RV Camping Blog or the new Monty's RV Vacation Photo / Picture Gallery.



If you would like to submit a guest post for SimplyForties please check the guidelines here.

Lake Buchanan, Texas

Planning to visit Texas in an RV, and looking for the exceptional in the Lone Star State? Texas is a stellar destination for budget-minded RV campers, thanks to the abundance of affordable campgrounds near memorable destinations. Pick your favorite type of camping venue below and start packing your RV. Texas is waiting to show y’all a great time!

Texas Lake Camping Destinations

There’s no shortage of great lake camping in Texas. Here are some of our favorite bodies of water in the Lone Star State:

Lake Corpus Christi State Park in Southeast Texas is a water sport wonderland. Boating, fishing and skiing are popular activities for RV campers at this lake. Its proximity to the Gulf Coast and densely forested sections of shoreline also offer an amazing variety of waterfowl and wildlife for your viewing pleasure. Inexpensive RV camping is available both at State Park campgrounds and private RV campgrounds around the lake.

The Highland Lakes Area of Central Texas is worthy of a month-long vacation, but if you only have a few days, choose your favorite from among these beautiful RV camping destinations:

·      Lake Buchanan near Burnet, TX offers every type of aquatic activity imaginable. Skiing, bass fishing, sailing and swimming are just four of the ways you’ll want to spend your time at this lake. Boats of every kind are available to rent, and you’ll find lakeside settlements friendly and ready to serve. A well-developed shoreline also means plenty of RV campgrounds on the water, so book your campsites soon for your Lake Buchanan vacation.

·      Lake LBJ flows south more than twenty miles from Kingsland, TX. It’s extremely popular with boaters, wildlife watchers and folks who simply love the Texas Hill Country. Those green hills host some of the prettiest RV campgrounds in Texas!

·      Lake Travis, north of Austin, draws a wide range of watercraft with its beautiful blue water and accessible shoreline. Cigarette boats blister over the waves while cabin cruisers patrol the quieter waters. Fishing boats, water skiers and jet skis can be seen year-round exploring the joys of Lake Travis. Be sure to reserve a lakeside campsite for an unforgettable sunrise.

Use this link for information about the other Highland Lakes of Central Texas. Affordable RV camping can be found throughout the area, so plan your RV trip around just one, or stretch your vacation to allow time at them all!

Texas National Park Destinations

The National Park Service sites in Texas offer an in-depth education into America’s largest state. Celebrating the natural attractions of Texas, the national parks here are ideal RV camping destinations. Here are just three to consider:

1.     Big Thicket National Preserve near the eastern border of Texas is a feast for nature-loving travelers. Diverse ecosystems converge on land and water to create a fascinating place to explore. Hike, bike or paddle your way through the Big Thicket’s mysteries, or follow the scenic auto touring routes. While RV camping isn’t allowed within the Preserve, a number of comfortable Big Thicket area RV campgrounds are available.

2.     The fabulous rock formations of Guadalupe Mountains National Park will keep your camera lenses clicking. From photogenic sand dunes to breathtaking twenty-story cliffs, the nature lover in you can’t help but fall in love with this Park. Self-contained RV camping in the Park’s two campgrounds offer amazing vistas and a trip you won’t soon forget.

3.     Davy Crockett National Forest, in the piney woods of East Texas, is a delight for city-weary vacationers. The Piney Creek Horse Trail, gorgeous Ratcliff Lake, the scenic Neches River and the Four C National Recreation Trail are just four of the reasons RV campers return to this area often. If you enjoy canoeing, be sure to save time for the Neches-Davy Crockett Paddling Trail through ancient woodlands. There’s a small RV campground near the lake, and private RV camps are also located in nearby Crockett, TX.

Do you begin to get the picture of how Texas just might become your favorite RV camping destination? The natural wonders of the Lone Star State will fascinate even the most jaded camper. Do your entire camping crew a favor, and start planning a Texas RV vacation soon.

As a Texas girl, I really enjoyed receiving this article about vacationing in my home state!

Xeriscape Gardening

This month's Stadler Nursery post is about gardening in the heat and drought, which many of us have been enjoying this summer.

Cheryl lives with her husband and their three cats in a 100-year-old house in the beautiful state of Maryland. She has a degree in horticulture from the University of Maryland and has been the manager of Stadler Nurseries in Maryland and Virginia for over 20 years. Become a fan of Stadler Nurseries on Facebook to find out what's going on in the garden world!

If you would like to submit a guest post for SimplyForties please check the guidelines here.

Hot dry summers seem to be the norm in recent years, at least here in the mid-Atlantic region.  For those planning a new landscape project or renovation of an older design, it may be time to incorporate the concepts of Xeriscaping, or water-wise landscape design.  The term xeriscaping often conjures up images of desert landscapes where only cactus and other dryland plants can grow.  With good planning, a much wider pallet of plants can be incorporated.

Choosing plants is one of the most important parts of a landscape project. The plants should be compatible with the landscape design and well suited to the environment, which includes the soil and light exposure. When planning a xeriscape, the water needs of plants are also important.  If plants are grouped properly, supplemental irrigation can be applied only to the plants that need it most. Place plants that require more water in areas of the landscape that stay moist or that can easily receive supplemental irrigation and plants that need less water in areas that are naturally drier. The water-use zones are divided into three categories - (1) regular irrigation; (2) moderate irrigation; and (3) low/ no irrigation.

 Zonal Planting Concepts

 Xeriscape concepts are practiced via zoning around the house. With this concept, plants with high water needs are planted close to the house, in a zone of regular irrigation often given the term "oasis zone". The moderate watering zone would contain plants that, after establishment, would require only occasional watering during extended periods of drought. The "no water zone" would contain some native plant species that have adapted to the usual precipitation patterns of the particular region. Here, plants would need water for the first year (usually through a drip irrigation system) to become established, and then allowed to go it entirely on their own.  With these three zones clearly defined, it is obvious that three entirely different classes of plants will be needed. This takes careful thought in planning and planting to avoid a hodgepodge design.

An added benefit of Xeriscape landscapes is less maintenance. A well-designed landscape can decrease maintenance by as much as 50 percent through reduced mowing; once-a-year mulching; elimination of weak, unadapted plants, and more efficient watering techniques.

Right Plant, Right Place

The most important step in maintaining healthy plants is to plant the right plant in the right place. Before selecting plants, take note of the planting site.

1. Planning and Design

Whether you're starting from scratch, or renovating an existing landscape, take the time to plan out your design before you start to plant. Create different water use zones and allocate the water where it will most directly contribute to the beauty and comfort of your home. Some questions to ask are:

A.    What are the light conditions?

·       Is it sunny all day?

·       Just in the morning?

·       Just in the afternoon?

·       Shady most of the day?

Begin by defining the light condition of your planting site. If the site is sunny all day, or all afternoon (at least 6 hours) it is considered full sun. If the site is sunny just in the morning, it is considered shady. If the site has sun in the morning and part of the afternoon it is considered part sun and if it is shady most of the time it is considered full shade.

Full sun plants (junipers, crimson pygmy barberry, and cypress, for example) will not perform well, and may eventually die if they are planted in too shady of a location.

Shade loving or part shade loving plants can often tolerate more sun, but the plants will always be under stress and are more prone to insect and disease problems, will not  bloom well, and will require additional water to remain healthy.

How does light affect drought tolerance? Many plants are mistakenly considered to be sun loving, but actually prefer some shade in the afternoon. Hollies, viburnums, hydrangeas and dogwoods are a few major groups of plants that fall into this category. While these plants will live and perhaps thrive in full sun conditions provided they receive adequate moisture, they will be more stressed during periods of drought than plants that truly prefer full sun.

B.    Is it windy?

 Winter wind dries the leaves of broadleaved evergreens such as hollies, rhododendrons and magnolias. In order for these plants to survive these conditions, they must be well watered throughout the fall to help prevent damage and again in the spring to recover from any damage the wind.

Sites that are windy during the rest of the year will also possibly result in drying damage to big-leafed perennials and other plants such as hydrangeas.

How does wind affect drought tolerance? Plant leaves are full of water. Plants with leaves (vs. needles) are more susceptible to losing moisture in a windy spot due to the larger surface area of their leaves and will therefore need additional watering.

C.    Does the soil take a day or two to dry out after it rains? Is there a slope?

To determine if the soil drains well, dig a hole 18” deep (not very wide) and fill with water. After it has drained out, fill with water again and see how long it takes to drain.  If it takes longer than 2 hours, there is a drainage problem. If plants that cannot tolerate wet soil are put in an area with a drainage problem, the roots will rot and the plant will die.

A slope will usually drain faster than level land, causing the soil to dry out faster. Additionally, the soil may erode with rain thereby exposing roots to the air as well as  decreasing the amount of soil to provide nutrition for the plant.

D.    How much actual space is available for planting?

Plants need adequate space for their roots to grow and develop properly. When plants are spaced too closely, the roots will compete for soil and moisture as the plant matures.

How does spacing affect drought tolerance? When plants are crowded together, the roots may not be able get adequate moisture from the soil and will require additional moisture.  The need for additional moisture will increase as the plants grow.

2. Use Appropriate Plants 

Use xeric plants for hot, dry south and west facing areas. Use plants that like more moisture along north and east facing slopes and walls. Don't mix plants with high and low watering needs in the same planting area.


3. Improve the Soil

To increase plant health and conserve water, add organic matter to the soil of shrub and flower bed areas. This will increase the ability of the soil to absorb and store water in a form available to the plant.


4. Use Mulches

Use mulch wherever possible. Good mulch conserves water by significantly reducing moisture evaporation from the soil. Mulch also reduces weed populations, prevents soil compaction and keeps soil temperatures more moderate.


5. Irrigate Efficiently

Of the tremendous amounts of water applied to lawns and gardens, much of it is never absorbed by the plants and put to use. Some water is lost to runoff by being applied too rapidly, and some water evaporates from exposed, unmulched soil; but, the greatest waste of water is applying too much too often. Over watering plants via excess irrigation can leach nutrients deep into the soil away from plant roots, increasing the chances of polluting groundwater. Similarly, runoff caused by excess irrigation can carry polluting fertilizers and pesticides to streams and lakes. The waste or pollution of high quality water through inefficient irrigation practices can be eliminated through proper watering techniques.


Drought tolerance is not simply a function of genetic capability. Many of these species, if watered frequently, will not prove to be drought tolerant if water is suddenly withheld. Plants previously subjected to water stress suffer less from drought than plants not previously stressed. Nurserymen realize this and "harden" their transplants in the field or landscape for better survival by decreasing the frequency of watering and exposing the plants to full sun.


If the homeowner cannot make a commitment to keep water supplied to the plants throughout the growing season, then early season water reductions should be practiced.

Lawns

Most lawns receive twice as much water as they require for a healthy appearance. The key to watering lawns is to apply the water infrequently, yet thoroughly. This creates a deep, well-rooted lawn that efficiently uses water stored in the soil.

Remember, most types of turf grasses are able to go dormant, turning brown, during the hot dry summer months and then recover their rich green color when the cooler, wetter months of fall begin.  Allowing the lawn to follow this natural process by providing adequate moisture during the cool spring months when the grass is actively growing and then reducing irrigation during the hot summer months is a good way to practice water-wise gardening.

Trees and Shrubs

All trees and shrubs need more frequent watering from planting time until becoming well rooted, which may take two to three growing seasons. Once established, plants can then be weaned to tolerate less frequent watering. Proper weaning develops deep roots and makes the plants 

more drought enduring.

As with lawns, water established trees, shrubs and groundcovers infrequently, yet thoroughly. In the absence of rain, most trees and shrubs benefit from a once-a-month thorough watering during the growing season. Remember, normal lawn watering will not adequately provide thorough tree and shrub watering.

The feeding root system of a tree or shrub is located within the top 12 inches of the soil, at the "drip line" of the plant. The drip line is the area directly below the outermost reaches of the branches. Apply water and fertilizer just inside and a little beyond the drip line, not at the trunk. Simply lay a slowly running hose on the ground and move it around the drip line as each area becomes saturated to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. For large trees, this watering technique may take several hours.

Drought Tolerant Plants

Again, it is very important to understand that plants considered “drought tolerant” are only drought tolerant once they are established. When these plants are first planted they have the same watering requirements as non-drought tolerant plants. It can take several years for the plant to become established enough to be considered drought tolerant. The following is a list of plants that are reputed to be drought tolerant.

Trees                                                                          Shrubs

“Winter King” Hawthorn                                              Barberry

Ginkgo                                                                         Cotoneaster

London Plane tree                                                        Deutzia

Pin Oak                                                                        Elaeagnus

Zelkova                                                                        Potentilla

Trident Maple                                                               Pyracantha

Halka Honeylocust                                                       Dwarf Spirea

Sweet Gum                                                                  Arrowwood Viburnum

Callery Pear                                                                 Yucca

Littleleaf Linden                                                            Juniper

Seven Sons Flower                                                       Mugho Pine

                                                                                    Gold Mop Cypress

Perennials

Achillea

Artemisia

Baptisia

Coreopsis verticillata

Dianthus

Euphorbia

Russian Sage

Santolina

Sedum

Hosta

Epimedium

Miscanthus

Panicum

Sorghastrum

Erianthus

Cortaderia

Calamintha

Delosperma

Gaura

Daylily

Iberis

Lamium

Lavender

Liatris

Nepeta